


Skinsuits and Swimsuits

by CupcakeGirlA



Series: Skinsuits and Swimsuits [1]
Category: Olympics RPF, Real Person Fiction, Speed Skating RPF, Sports RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-27
Updated: 2011-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-28 05:46:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 40,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/304391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupcakeGirlA/pseuds/CupcakeGirlA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When JR goes to Berkeley to start the next phase of his life, he’s not expecting to fall in love for Mr. Tall Dark and Swimmy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skinsuits and Swimsuits

UC Berkeley has been JR’s dream school for as long as he can remember. Finishing up his high school in California, he’d started thinking about all of the things he wanted in a University, and Berkeley and matched and exceeded all of them. It was big, but not exclusive. It was a great program, but not impossible. It was in California, but not LA. It was diverse in population and near the coast. It was also expensive as hell, but he’d gotten a really great scholarship. Apparently Berkeley liked having elite level athletes on their roster.

So, when JR shows up for his new student orientation, he is expecting to be largely anonymous. He imagines he’ll check in, get his group assignment, meet his student counselor, take a tour of the campus, and register for his classes. He thinks he’ll probably have to sit through a getting to know you session, hear about campus safety, dorm life, and financial aid. Get a lecture about underage drinking and academic responsibility. Cap off the day by eating stale bagels and watered down juice. He figures a few people might recognize him, but he’s not too worried.

Things don’t exactly turn out like he’s imagined they would, which he will decide months later is a wonderful thing.

When JR gets to orientation he finds three tables of student volunteers spread out, checking people in by last name. Heading to the A-D table he stands in line and then once at the end of it, gives over his name. The girl doing the checking-in smiles and scans the list of C names. Then she scans it again, looking confused.

“Was that Celski? Or Cilski?” she asks. JR stares at her for a moment.

“Celski,” he answers, spelling it out for her. She frowns, checking the list again.

“Are you sure?’ she asks. JR’s jaw drops.

“I think I know how to spell my own last name. It has been mine for oh about 20 years now,” he answers. It’s July and he’s hot and sticky and just wants to get inside for the promised continental breakfast and some air conditioning. She wipes at her own sweaty forehead and glares at him.

“I meant are you sure this is your orientation session? We have one today and one tomorrow. You could be at the wrong one,” she replies clearly annoyed. JR sighs, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his confirmation email. He hands it over and she looks at it closely.

“Monday, July 12th,” he says. She reads the print out and nods.

“Ok, we don’t seem to have you on this list. Hold on. I’ll get Cindy. Stay here,” she gets up from the table and walks to the end of the table carrying the list and JR’s email. He groans, the sound echoed by the three guys and two girls standing behind him. He sticks his hands in his pockets and leans against the table. The girls back a few minutes later with an older woman. The girl points at JR, and retakes her seat. The woman smiles at him sympathetically and gestures for him to step out of the line. She leads JR away from the table, and under the shade of a tree.

“JR?” she asks. He nods, and she reaches out to shake his hand. “I’m Cindy Walters, head of Student Support Services. I’m so sorry for the confusion. I meant to make a note next to your name, not remove it from the list entirely. Because of your situation I didn’t assign you to a group, the way I normally would. I wanted to do something more individualized for you. I hope we haven’t caused a bad first impression…” she trails off then. JR blinks smiling at the woman.

“No, I was just really confused. Why wasn’t I assigned a group?” he asks. She’s about to answer him when a voice calls out across the quad.

“Cindy!” JR turns to look. There’s a guy running across the open space of the quad. He’s smiling a huge smile complete with dimples, and waving his arm in greeting. The guys huge, at least 6’5” or 6’6”, with tan skin and thick dark hair. He reaches Cindy and gives her a hug. She returns it, smiling widely. “Sorry I’m late. What did you need me for today?” he asks.

“Nathan! Perfect timing as always!” she, turns back to JR. “JR, this is Nathan Adrian. Nathan this is JR Celski. He’s a new Frosh, here for his student orientation. You will be his orientation counselor,” she says it with a wide welcoming smile. But JR’s too busy noticing the shock on Nathan’s face spreading.

“Umm, Cindy?” he asks. She grins at him. “I’m not a counselor…” he says in confusion. She grins wider handing him a folder.

“Oh, pish posh. You’ve been here 3 full years. You’re a Senior. You know all there is to know about registering for classes, and getting around campus. You’ve even lived in the dorms. Just be his buddy for the day. Show him around. You can tag along with one of the larger groups for the seminars, but I want you to stay with him. Everything you need to know is in this folder. He might need your expertise,” she smiles as she says the last bit, but Nathan looks just as confused as JR is. She checks her watch. “Look at the time. Enough chit chat. Off you go. You have just enough time to grab a bagel and some juice and make it to the Welcome Address. Have fun!” she calls out as she walks away. Nathan turns slowly to JR, and JR suddenly feels every bit of his 5’8” height. This guys a freaking giant in comparison. He sticks his hands back in his pockets, nervous.

“I guess it’s you and me,” Nathan says, holding out a hand. JR pulls his out to shake the larger one offered to him, and nods.

“Nice to meet you. Umm do they do this often? The buddy thing?” he asks. Nathan shakes his head.

“I don’t think so. I’ve never heard of them doing it before. You have any idea why she singled you out? I mean Cindy’s great, but she gets weird ideas in her head sometimes.” Nathan starts walking toward the building. JR follows quickly behind, his legs moving fast to keep up with the taller mans long strides.

“Not really, at least I don’t think so…” he answers. They enter the building, sighing at the cool air blowing through the air conditioner at them. Nathan leads him to the tables where breakfast is waiting for them. They each pick up a pastry, some fruit and a boxed juice. JR’s tempted to grab a second Danish but Nathan’s moving again and he rushes to follow. “Oh well. Cindy asked me to do her a favor today. She’s my program counselor, you see. She’s been awesome! So I agreed without even hearing what she needed me to do. She just told me to clear the day, and meet her out front at 8:30am.” He shrugs. “I guess babysitting a freshman, isn’t such a bad favor,” he grins when he says it and JR rolls his eyes.

“I’m not a baby!” he laughs. “You’re a Senior, right?” he asks as they enter the large lecture hall, grabbing two seats in the back row. Nathan nods, biting into his cheese pastry, once they’re settled. “So you’re what? 21, 22 at the most?” he asks. Nathan grins, swallowing before answering.

“21. You look about 16 though!” JR rolls his eyes.

“20. And I’ve been living away from my parents since I was 14. I’m a lot more grown up than most of the Freshman here.” He bites into his apple, and starts to shake up his orange juice. Nathan’s mouth drops open.

“20?” he asks. He shakes his head. “Photo ID or it’s not true!” he complains. JR fishes into his back pocket pulling out his wallet. He extracts his driver’s license and hands it over. Nathan accepts the small card and blinks at what he’s presented with, a Washington state MVA card. He blinks again and checks the address. “You live in Federal Way, Washington?” he asks. JR looks at him in confusion and nods, accepting his ID back.

“Yeah? Why?” Nathan’s response is cut off by the beginning of the welcoming address. They both turn to listen as a speaker steps to the microphone and welcomes them all to the Cal Student Orientation. When things are quieter, the speaker drowning on and on about the University’s rich history and the importance of Golden Bear pride, and JR’s attention seems to be drifting, Nathan leans over closer to him and answers his previous question, talking quietly so as to not be distracting to the other audience members.

“I’m from Bremerton,” he says quietly. JR’s head turns to him in a flash, his eyes lighting up.

“Bremerton? West of Seattle? Across the sound?” he asks. Nathan nods. “Holy shit,” JR whispers. He shakes his head. “That’s only like an hour from home!” Nathan nods again grinning widely.

“Do you think that’s why she paired us up?” JR asks. Nathan thinks a minute before shaking his head.

“Nah, has to be something else,” Nathan answers. It’s only then that JR notices the group of girls to their right staring and giggling. He slumps in his seat, pulling his hat further down over his face, and frowning. “What’s wrong?” Nathan asks. JR shakes his head.

“What’s first on the agenda?” he asks. Nathan looks in the folder Cindy had forced into his hands, pulling out a schedule.

“Half hour meeting with the counselor… Hmm, that’s me!” he says smiling. The welcome address over, the announcer tells the students to find their group counselor and to head outside for introductions and a Q&A. JR and Nathan slip out the back of the room. “Wanna go outside? Or find a bench somewhere?” Nathan asks sucking the last of the juice out of his juice box. JR shrugs, his eyes going a little wide. There’s four giggling girls approaching and suddenly JR feels sick to his stomach. He doesn’t want to deal with this today. Today was supposed to be about the start of his college career. Not fangirls! He flinches a little when they reach the two of them.

“Umm... JR?” the first girl asks, the others giggling behind her. JR smiles at her.

“Yeah, hey,” he says in greeting. He offers her a hand. She stares at it a beat too long before accepting it and shaking it quickly. She holds out a pen and her orientation folder.

“Do you mind?” she asks. “We’re big fans!” JR nods, taking them from her and signing quickly. He does the same for the other girls. But when one pulls out a camera, and he flinches again, Nathan steps up.

“Sorry ladies, Mr. Celski and I have places to be. And I’m pretty sure your Counselor’s are probably waiting for you,” he nods to the quickly emptying lobby. The girls scramble to pick up their stuff, waving good bye to JR, and breaking out into fresh giggles as they go. Nathan, grips JR by the arm, pulling him down the hallway, into an empty lounge, and pushing his unresisting body to sit down on the couch there.

“Ok, JR. Spill it. What was that all about?” he asks. JR shrugs, avoiding his eyes. He blushes a little and doesn’t answer. “JR, come on, man! Talk to me!” he gives JR another one of those big beaming smiles, and suddenly JR wants to tell him everything.

“It’s... well… I’m an athlete. And those were some of my fans,” he says simply.

“Oh?” Nathan prompts crossing his arms. “What kind of athlete?” he asks. JR sighs, slumping to rest against the back of the couch.

“Short track speedskating,” he answers. Nathan’s forehead creases in thought.

‘That’s the one with the really long ice skates, and the racing in a circle, right?” he asks. JR grins nodding.

“Yeah. That’s the one. It’s like Roller Derby on ice,” he explains. Nathan nods. He snaps his fingers.

“That guy, with all the Winter Olympic Medals, and the thing,” he motions to his chin. JR breaks out into fresh laughter.

“Apolo Anton Ohno?” he asks.

“Yeah, him! He does short track doesn’t he?” JR nods.

“Yeah, he does. We’ve been teammates the last few years,” JR explains. Nathan nods.

“That’s really cool! So were you in Vancouver?” he asks, relaxing back into the other corner of the couch. JR nods. “Wait… Celski. Celski. That sounds really familiar. I remember watching you! My mom was all excited, told me she’d read about some kid from outside Seattle. Told me to watch. You medaled didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I medaled twice. Bronze for an individual race, and a second bronze for the team relay event,” he grins at the accomplishment.

“I love relays,” Nathan says grinning. “There’s nothing like representing your country as part of a team!” JR’s face turns confused.

“What are you talking about?” he asks. Nathan laughs.

“I think I know why Cindy teamed us up. I’m on the swim team here, but I’m also part of the US National Swim Team. You and I, JR, we’re both Olympians!” he grins as he says it.

“You’ve been to the Olympics?” JR asks. Nathan nods.

“Summer. Beijing, in 2008. Brought home a gold in the 400m Free Relay. There’s nothing like it!” he says proudly. JR laughs.

“I love relays. They’re exhausting. Much more so than a regular race.” Nathan nods in agreement.

“I’m a sprinter. I specialize in the shortest distances. The 50m and the 100m free. The longer races are killer,” Nathan explains. JR shrugs.

“We have the same issue in short track. Some guys are sprinters, other guys are distance. I specialize in the distance races. 1500m, and the 3000m, but that one’s not an Olympic race. But it makes me an asset during the 5000m relay.” Nathan’s eyes got big.

“5000 meters?!” he asks. JR shrugs.

“You don’t race the whole thing by yourself. You trade off with three other guys.”

“You must have outstanding stamina, to skate that many meters though,” Nathan says. JR freezes his face turning red, fighting not to laugh. Nathan’s mouth drops open and he gawps like a fish. “I didn’t mean it like that!” Nathan blurts. JR lets the laughter out.

“Yes, great stamina!” he says in agreement shaking his head and reaching for the folder on the seat between them. He pulls out the schedule and checks his watch. “Ok. Our Q&A time is almost up. Where too next, Nathan?” he asks, holding out the paper. Nathan takes it from him, unable to meet JR’s eyes. He clears his throat studying the sheet.

“College Overview. More general information, then lunch. Yay! I’m starving already, If I remember what they fed us at my student orientation correctly, you’ll want to skip it. We’ll head over to the student union for something completely unhealthy and overly greasy instead, if you want. After that Health and Safety, and then you get to choose what lecture you want to go to.” Nathan hands the list back to JR.

“I’m good for financial aid, and there’s no time for working. I’m still in training, even if I’m not competing this year. Education Abroad?” he questions. He makes a face, and looks up at Nathan whose face has cleared of much of its earlier embarrassed blush. “I do a lot of traveling. I’m not sure what I’d get out of a semester abroad. What about housing? You’ve lived in the dorms?” he asks. Nathan nods.

“Yeah, my first year. After that I moved out of the dorms and into a house with a couple of the other guys on the team. It was easier to live with a bunch of guys who kept the same crazy hours I did, weren’t going to keep me up all night partying, and understood about taper,” he shrugs his shoulders.

“Taper?” JR asks. Nathan grins.

“Last few weeks before a big meet we do taper. You do a light practice once or twice a day, and not much else. You don’t do anything but rest. It’s to get your mind and body ready for the big races. We tend to be a bit messy the week before a big competition. It can make it hard to live with us if you’re a neat freak.” Nathan pulls himself up off the couch. JR follows suit.

“So what’s the thing I most need to know about dorm living?” he asks, walking behind Nathan out into the hallway.

“That’s a long list! Why don’t we talk about it over lunch? I’ll give you all the tips I can over pizza!” Nathan suggests.

“As long as you don’t make me eat any mushrooms,” JR argues, making Nathan laugh.

They did have lunch, and JR picked Nathan’s brain about the pros and cons of dorm life, about making peace and establishing ground rules with one’s roommate from the get go. Nathan gave him tips about where to eat and when, the best place to study in the library, which professors to avoid, and how many classes he should take. Discussion turned to nearby places to eat, and hang out. The best bars around, the local movie theaters, and concert venues. They talked so long about life in and around Berkeley that they missed half of the after lunch Health and Safety Lecture, walking in late. Nathan leaned over midway through the lecture and whispered in JR’s ear: “Not that you missed much. Be responsible. Drink only if it’s legal, and not excessively. Don’t do drugs. Don’t have unprotected sex. Get your shots. Eat healthy. Don’t walk alone late at night. Lock your bike up, yadda yadda yadda.” JR, naturally, laughed, and the two of them got glared at for being loud.

 

At the end of the day, the two leave the hall where they had just sat through the last lecture of the day on “Student Life and Getting Involved,” and stood, awkwardly staring at each other.

“So… umm… Thanks! You did a great job for this being your first time and all!” JR says smiling. Nathan grins in relief at the broken tension, shaking his head at the shorter man.

“I’m no longer a counseling virgin.” He reaches out for JR’s shoulder. “Someday, my young friend, it shall be your turn to guide someone through this special time in their life. Do me proud,” he jokes. JR laughs loudly in response, running a hand through his hair and tugging his baseball hat back on.

“But I mean it, Nathan. This was great. Thanks,” he holds out a hand for Nathan, and the older man reaches out taking it in his own and shaking it.

“No problem. I’ll see you around?” he asks. JR nods.

“Yeah probably. Campus isn’t that big,” he reasons.

“Welcome to Berkeley!” Nathan declares, swinging his arms wide, out to either side. JR laughs and nods.

“I think I’m going to like it here!”

“I’m glad. Hey, good luck next semester. And remember don’t piss off your roommate. That’s the absolute worst thing you can do when you’re living in the dorms.” With that sage advice Nathan pats JR on the shoulder, turns around, and walks away.

 

JR pisses off his roommate. He like MAJOR LEAGUE pisses off his roommate. JR’s not sure how exactly it happens. He’s fairly sure the only thing he does is calmly ask Carl if he minds sharing grocery costs if he was going to eat all of JR’s snacks, and overnight the guy turns into different person. A nasty, vengeful, evil person. He starts leaving his shit everywhere, and being sloppy. He starts staying up later and later each night, playing music so loud through his headphones, that JR, trying to sleep on the other side of the room, can make out every single word, all while leaving the desk lamp light on, it’s bright white light bouncing off Carl’s notebook paper and filling the whole room like it was midday. He eats all of JR’s food, and refuses to pay for it. Then he started touching things. He doesn’t break anything, but JR will come home and find his picture frames rearranged, or his books alphabetized and that, quite frankly, just freaks him the fuck out.

JR goes to his RA, but the guy is useless. And Student Housing informs him that there is a waitlist a mile long for dorm rooms. If he wants to move he’ll have to find someone willing to switch with him, but word has quickly spread about the psycho in 302. He gets a lot of sympathy but no one willing to trade.

Carl continues to freak out JR, and to keep him up all night, only after the second week he starts messing with JR when he’s trying to study too. Asks him inane questions the entire time he’s trying to work on his homework, and blasting his music through his speaker system out right, just because it’s the middle of the day and he can. JR, in reaction, gathers up his books and remembering what Nathan had told him about the library heads there. He snags a study room for the afternoon and curls up in an armchair in the small glass walled room to get some work done. Which is where Nathan finds him an hour or so later.

Nathan’s there, looking up topics for his big Biology 404 project when he walks by the room and notices JR. He’s slumped in the arm chair, books spread out around him, some sliding off his lap, head resting off to the side, eyes closed in sleep. Nathan stops to stare, not quite processing what he’s seeing. He watches JR sleep for a minute before shaking his head, easing the door open, and stepping inside. He grabs up the statistics book about to fall and smash JR’s foot and sets it on the nearby table.

“Hey, JR!” he calls softly. “JR!” he nudges JR’s shoulder, and the younger man jerks awake startling and sitting up more in his seat. He blinks up at Nathan in surprise, looking confused and adorable. Nathan shakes his head again, letting go of JR’s shoulder and sitting in the other armchair.

“Hey. Nathan?’ JR says rubbing at his eyes. Nathan suppresses a smile.

“Hey, man. You doing ok? You look exhausted!” JR sighs, flopping his notebook up onto the table.

“Yeah, well you know how you warned me not to piss off my roommate?” he asks. Nathan’s laughter fills the small room making JR sit up straighter and smile. He stretches out his arms, arching his back and groaning. Nathan’s eye strays to the thin line of stomach revealed when JR’s t-shirt rides up.

“How bad is it?” Nathan asks, looking away and stacking his own books on the table. JR gives him a crooked smile.

“He keeps me up all night, eats my food, moves my stuff around, and now he’s started blasting music to piss me off when I try and study…” JR explains. Nathan winces in sympathy.

“That sucks, man! What are you gonna do?” Nathan asks. JR shakes his head.

“I don’t know, but I start training in a few weeks and this is not fucking working! I’m three weeks into the semester and the last two weeks have been complete hell. I start skating soon with a new coach so I don’t lose my feel for the ice, or my muscle tone. I need to be able to get a routine going. When I eat, when I sleep, when I study, and when I train. On top of that Statistics is going to kick my ass this semester!” JR sighs, leaning forward to put his head in his hands.

“Hmm… I can help with Stats. It’s not that hard. I took it a couple of semesters ago. And hey, you can study at my place, or even crash on my couch if you need too, at least temporarily, but I’m not sure you’d want too,” Nathan offers. JR looks at him in confusion.

“That’s a great offer. But why wouldn’t I want too?” he asks. Nathan grinned deviously, standing up from his seat, and avoiding the question.

“Come on, pack up your stuff. We can study at my place,” JR grabs up his backpack, stuffing it full of all of his supplies and eagerly follows Nathan out.

 

Nathan lives in a three bedroom house just off campus. A rental he shares with a yet to be named roommate who was apparently at class that afternoon. Nathan lets JR in and points him to the dining room table. The house is sparsely decorated, practically screaming male college students. A huge UC Berkeley banner dominates the living room wall, behind a big leather couch, and across from a pimped out entertainment center that has JR drooling just a little. The dining room holds one large oak table and a collection of a half dozen chairs that don’t match it or each other. JR plops down in one of the sturdier looking chairs and starts unloading his backpack. Nathan leaves him to get situated and goes to the kitchen to grab a couple bottles of water. He hands one to JR and sets the other down in front of the closest chair to JR’s chosen spot.

“Let me grab my notes and I’ll be right back.” JR nods, opening his water and taking a drink. Nathan is back less than ten minutes later with a battered textbook, a full spiral notebook, and a folder of papers. He pulled the chair closest to JR’s back and sits down beside him. “Ok, I was actually good at this type of math. So tell me what’s confusing you and maybe I can explain it better than the Prof can,” he says smiling. JR grins flipping open his textbook and starting to explain his confusion.

They work on JR’s math for almost an hour, before Nathan has to leave to go to practice. He leaves JR sitting at the table, working on his Freshman English Lit essay, with the order to take a nap when he is done. (“You look tired, JR.”) JR has a statistics test the next day, and Nathan promises to study with him for another hour before sending JR home for the night. JR walks with him to the door, infinitely grateful for the quiet place to study.

“Oh, and JR?” Nathan says grinning so widely JR’s stomach does an involuntary flip. “Feel free to eat whatever you find in the kitchen!” Nathan teases. JR laughs in response, waving him away.

“Thanks, Nathan! Have a good practice!” he calls, returning to the dining room to finish his essay.

When JR wakes up it is to the sight of one of the tallest guys he’d ever seen before standing over where he lies on the couch. The guy is big and broad, but all muscle. Tan skinned, blond haired, and blue eyed. He’s wearing a Hawaiian print shirt and bright blue board shorts, and is eating cereal out of a mixing bowl.

“Who’re you?” he asks, mumbling and slurping around a spoonful of what appears to be Froot Loops.

“Um… JR?” he replies, sitting up a little. The guy nods, accepting that answer, and turning around to sit in the leather recliner closest to the television. He plops down, hugging his bowl to his chest, and grabbing up the remote control. “Who’re you?” JR asks, swinging his legs around to sit up on the couch.

The guy slowly turns his eyes away from ESPN Zone on the TV to look at JR.

“I’m Jacko,” he slides his eyes lazily back to the TV. JR blinks at him.

“Nathan’s roommate?” he asks. The guy nods, not bothering to look away from the TV.

“Yep,” he says blandly, with a sort of laid back drawl that reminds JR of the surfer kids he used to hang out with in Long Beach back in high school. JR rolls his eyes, reaching up to smooth down his hair and adjust his t-shirt.

“JACKO!” there was a slam of the door. Jacko rolls his eyes.

“What the fuck you want, Bok Choy!?” he yells back. Nathan appears in the doorway, dripping wet. His t-shirt is stuck all down his front, outlining all the defined muscles he has there. JR feels his face flush just a little, eyes tracing down the white fabric. He forcibly stops himself from following down to where Nathan’s cargo shorts were glued to other parts of his anatomy.

“What the hell was that for?” Nathan asks. Jacko puts his feet down and stands up.

“Oh man you should have seen the look on your face!” he howls. Nathan glares at him. He turns to look at JR.

“This Dick Head pushed me into the pool!” he pauses. “After I had changed into dry clothes and was on my way out of the building!” he turns back to Jacko. “You’re not getting off that easy. It’s your turn to take the trash out, and I’m not doing it for you this time!” Jacko rolls his eyes.

“Yes mother!” he complains shoveling the last bit of cereal into his mouth, and slurping down the remaining milk. Nathan glares until he is out of the room.

“And wash your dishes!” he calls after the other man. Loud echoing laughter filters back through the house as Jacko goes to do as ordered. Nathan turns back to JR and smiles more warmly. He walks further into the room, squelching with each step, his sneakers soaked with water. “Hey, JR. Have a nap?” he asks. JR grins nodding.

“Yeah, a couple hours. Thanks. You uh..” he pauses looking Nathan up and down quickly, “you want to go dry off?” he asks. Nathan laughs in response, turning red, and glancing down his own body.

“Umm, yeah, probably a good idea!” Nathan says, seeing the puddle collecting under his feet. “Meet me in the dining room in 10?” he asks. JR nods.

“Take your time!” JR says climbing to his feet. Nathan nods, turning and jogging up the stairs. JR purposefully does not watch him go. He takes a deep breath and instead heads back to the dining room repeating to himself over and over again as he goes: “Just a friend. He’s just a friend.”

When Nathan returns to the dining room he’d dried himself off and put on fresh clothes. He finds JR sitting curled over his textbook reading furiously and doing sample problems. JR looks up at him at his entrance, a grin on his face. Nathan returns it.

“So, you did have a good nap? You looked like you needed one badly,” he says sympathetically. JR nods.

“Carl’s keeping me up all night. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him. Oh I had a question for you, since you are my orientation counselor…” JR trails off.

“Sure. Hit me with your best shot,” Nathan prompts. JR makes a face.

“Know of any good gyms in the area that are open late at night or early in the morning? I need to get back into the groove or my new coach is going to slaughter me.” JR asks. Nathan thinks a moment, and JR can practically hear the wheels turning as Nathan goes over the options in his head.

“Well there’s the gym on campus, that’s open for students use,” he suggests. JR winces shaking his head. “Didn’t like it?” Nathan asks.

“I liked it fine, it’s just… there’s a lot of girls there is the problem,” Nathan nods in understanding.

“They still following you around?’ he asks. JR rolls his eyes.

“It’s ridiculous,” JR replies. He doesn’t want to get into the details. It’s not that there are a lot of girls coming up to him. It’s just that the ones who are, are very very determined

“Why not invite him to use our gym, Adrian?” Jacko suggests wandering into the dining room. JR and Nathan both turn to look at him. “What? It’s restricted to the team. But I bet the coaches wouldn’t mind if another Olympian wanted to use it. There’s only like the two of you on campus, because you know I don’t count those little shits who swim for other countries, and if fangirls are the issue, they’d totally understand.” Nathan looks at him in wonder.

“That was surprisingly well thought out, Jacko,” Nathan says looking confused. Jacko shrugs.

“Besides it’d be interesting to see what homeboy here could do in the gym. I bet I could out press him in a heart-beat!” Jacko says teasingly, leaning against the doorway, and eyeing JR. JR smirks and stands up to face the bigger man. He crosses his arms over his chest.

“That really depends on what we are lifting with. Arms? Yeah you could definitely beat me. But legs? I’ll have you there, no problem!” he replies. Nathan lets out a bark of laughter, sitting back in his chair and making the ancient wood creak in response.

“Looks like we got a challenge going here!” he crows. JR smirks again.

“Swimmers are built, I’ll give you that, and you’ve got strong legs, but you don’t have anything on a short tracker. Especially not one who trained with Apolo Ohno!” JR replies.

“We’ll see about that little man!” Jacko says stepping closer. JR doesn’t flinch, even as he is forced to look up and up again in order to meet Jacko’s eyes. The seriousness of the moment is broken when Jacko breaks out into fresh laughter.

“He actually thinks he’s gonna win!” he laughs, turning and walking from the room, his laughter echoing back down the hallway. JR retakes his seat again and finds Nathan watching him with wide eyes.

“You have no idea what you’re dealing with there, JR,” Nathan says quietly. JR shakes his head.

“He thinks because I’m small I can’t lift what he can. He can leg press what? 600, maybe 700 pounds?” JR asks. Nathan nods, that sounds about right. “I can do that in my sleep, even this far away from the Olympics. I got this!” Nathan grins.

“I’ll believe it when I see it!” Nathan says. JR shakes his head, hands on his hips.

“You’re a real pessimist when it comes to believing me when I tell you things about myself. When are you going to start believing me when I say something?” he asks with a small smile. Nathan shrugs.

“I hang out with a bunch of guys all day, every day. And most of them are so full of themselves and their accomplishments that sometimes a discussion about what we can do in the gym or the pool seems more like a contest in one-upmanship than an actual conversation. It’s made me a little cynical,” Nathan explains. “With swimmers it’s all about how many laps you can do, and what your best times are.” JR shakes his head.

“Well, try and remember this, Nathan. I’m not like those guys. I’m not a swimmer. I’m just as dedicated and hard working. I care just as much about my body and what I can do with it. But I’m not gonna lie just to impress you guys. Why would I need too? None of you would last a day doing what we do!” he says. Nathan balks at that.

“I highly doubt that. I know you’d never make it through a session at the pool!” Nathan challenges. JR grins.

“You wanna make a bet?” he asks. Nathan steps up to him, smiling down at JR and holding out a hand.

“You’re on!” he says as JR accepts his hand with a firm grip.

 

The next morning Nathan asks the coaches if they mind JR using the gym. After finding out about his Olympic status, and his problems at the student gym, they of course agree, giving his Student ID card access in the computer system, under the condition that he follows the same rules as everyone else, and doesn’t prove to be a distraction. Nathan calls JR and tells him the good news, inviting him to come over to the pool later that day so he can show him around. As soon as JR is done with his Stat test he heads for the pool. He finds Nathan sitting on the steps out front waiting for him.

The outdoor pool is huge. Bigger than any pool JR has ever been too before. The length of it surprises him.

“Olympic sized baby!” Nathan crows in response when he tells him so. He points out the warm down pool and the diving platforms. “Don’t ever let them talk you into diving off of the highest one. Scary as hell!” Nathan says, leading him around the quiet pool to the gym situated off the back. “You’ll probably have to get used to the smell of the Chlorine.” Nathan says. JR shrugs, it didn’t bother him. They get to the door, and Nathan tells JR to swipe his card. The lock disengages and they step inside. Nathan leads him down the hallway pointing out the locker rooms, the sauna which has JR’s eyes lighting up, and finally the weight room, which as it turns out was near overflowing with a lot of half-naked and very athletic looking men and women. Nathan sighs at the sight and pats JR on the back. “You wanted a challenge. Well you got one!” he says pulling the door open. JR grins, stepping into chaos.

Jacko’s there of course, primed and ready to go. But JR tells him he has no intention of hurting himself just to win a bet. He tells everyone they should let him get stretched out and warmed up, and to come back in 20 minutes. The hoard of gawkers slowly clear out, and JR goes to change out of his jeans and into a ratty old t-shirt and baggy gym shorts. He ignores Jacko sitting in the corner of the gym watching him as he stretches out his legs and back, his arms and shoulders. He spends 10 minutes on the mat before going to the leg press and loading a couple hundred pounds on it. Jacko’s eyes light up at this, and he watches eagerly as JR does several short sets, to get his muscles warmed up and moving. 20 minutes later the weight room fills up again, many of the swimmers wrapped in towels and reeking of chlorine. JR climbs out of the leg press going over to the weight bench and grinning up at Jacko.

“Arms or legs first, Jacko?” he asks. Jacko grins.

“How about we set a wager first?” he suggests. JR grins.

“Terms?” he asks.

“You say I’ll trounce you on the upper body, so that’s practically a done deal. So why don’t we wager on lower body instead?” JR nods. “Fine, if I win you pay for my cereal for the rest of the semester!” Jacko suggests. There’s a loud ‘oohhhh’ from the crowd. JR looks at Nathan.

“He eats a lot of cereal doesn’t he?” he asks. Nathan grins nodding. JR sighs. “And if I win…” he pauses thinking over his options. “You take out the trash for the rest of the semester, to give Nathan a break!” he suggests. Jacko grins.

“Deal!” he says. He reaches for JR’s hand and they shake on it. “Ok upper body first!”

He kills JR. Just annihilates him on the bench press. JR would normally have been able to hold his own, but Jacko is huge in the upper body. He doesn’t even really stand a chance. JR shrugs it off.

“I told you you’d smash me!” he says, congratulating Jacko. Jacko grins slapping him on the back.

“You did better than I thought you would,” he admits. JR shakes his head.

“Why don’t you go first on the leg press?” he suggests. Jacko nods, loading up the press with weights. JR sees him put 800 pounds on there, but doesn’t react. Instead he squats down to sit on his own heels watching from low down, as Jacko climbs up into the machine and does ten reps at the weight, clearly pressing at max ability, if the strain in his face and his grunts were to be believed. Jacko earns a round of applause from those in attendance. JR looks at Nathan who has begun to grin. Jacko climbs out, reaching out to pat JR on the back.

“Beat that kid!” he says, accepting a towel. JR shrugs.

“Ok!” he says climbing up into the press. He gets himself comfortable, positions his legs, releases the hitch and presses up easily. He does a few reps, in swift succession, and the room goes silent. “Hmm,” he says, locking the press in place. He drops his left leg down, repositions his right leg in the middle, releases the lock and presses up with just his right leg. The hem of his shorts slides up his leg but he doesn’t care. The look of shock on the faces of those surrounding him is infinitely satisfying. Resetting the lock, and lowering the press back to start, he looks at those standing around him. “Should we add more?” he looks at Jacko, seeing the shock and horror on his face. He turns to Nathan, who is looking a bit flushed, eyes glued to JR’s exposed thigh, mouth open a little in shock. There’s a scuffle as someone steps forward to add more weight. He stops them at 1400 pounds. He hasn’t been pressing much over the summer and he doesn’t want to hurt himself. After 10 reps of that he is declared the winner of the contest, and apparently universally accepted into the gym by its most active users. JR climbs out of the machine, his legs feeling a touch bit sore. He knows he’ll probably be achy in the morning but it’s a good pain, a familiar pain he hasn’t really felt since March. Jacko is one of the last to leave the weight room.

“You surprised me, kid,” Jacko says, shaking his hand. JR grins at him.

“I told you. Don’t mess with a short tracker and their legs.” Jacko laughs, turning to Nathan, who was being inordinately quiet.

“I guess I’m on trash duty for the rest of the semester,” he says grinning. Nathan’s face blossoms into that smile, the one JR had seen on his face back in July, the genuine one that puts his dimples on display and shows nearly two full rows of even white teeth.

“Why don’t we make it a month? Kid was a ringer!” Nathan offers. Jacko shakes his head.

“I don’t back off from a bet. Junior won fair and square! The semester!” he turns and looks at JR again. “Can’t wait to see what you can do in the water!” he says teasingly before turning and leaving the weight room. JR grins at Nathan, and this time gets a smile in return.

“Ok, that’s twice I’ve doubted you and twice you’ve proven me wrong. What other surprises have you got hidden up your sleeves?” he asks. JR laughs, shaking his head.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out!” he says laughing.

 

JR likes Nathan. He really likes him. So he doesn’t fight that little voice that routinely tells him to call up Nathan and ask for HW help or movie recommendations. They have coffee together, catch lunch at the Student Union. They work out together at the gym, and even go to a music festival in San Fran one weekend. Nathan takes pity on him and lets him catch an occasional nap on the couch or more often use their dining room table to study. JR appeases Jacko by buying him two boxes of sugary cereal each week and by staying out of his way when he’s got his girl, Caity, over. Things are good and friendly, and simple.

Then at the beginning of October JR goes for his first training session with his new coach at the Northern California Speedskating Association. The local club meets only 15 minutes away from his dorm room, and he likes his coach Nancy Flanick. She’s a good friend of JR’s original coach from Long Beach, Wilma Boomstra and she’s got a similar coaching style. JR is immediately comfortable with her. She however does not take mercy on JR. She does not take into consideration the last 6 months where he hasn’t been in training. She doesn’t let up on him, and instead pushes him to do as many laps and sprints, and dryland exercises as any of her other skaters. JR struggles to keep up, and at the end of the day collapses on a long bench in the locker room and prays for death to come for him.

Nancy finds him there fifteen minutes later, moaning in agony. She leans over him, a huge smile spreading across her face.

“Problem, Celski?” she asks. JR groans again, pulling himself up into a sitting position.

“No? Coach?” he says trying to smile. She laughs sitting down beside him.

“Hurting?” she asks, crossing one leg over the other. JR nods.

“A bit,” he says looking at her. She smiles again.

“That’s to be expected. Now you know how much it hurts to train when you aren’t in shape. So next time think twice before you let yourself get this out of shape,” she warns. JR laughs and nods his head.

“Yes, ma'm!” he answers.

“Good,” she says patting him on the leg and making him wince. She stands up, hands on her hips. “Go take a hot shower, and if you can, sit in a sauna. We don’t have one here. But you look resourceful. You did good today. Very impressive.” JR looks at her in confusion.

“Impressive?” he asks. “I lagged behind the entire time we were on the ice, didn’t win a single sprint or practice race, and tapped out during dryland 2/3 of the way through!” he protests. She laughs out right, her head tilting back with her mirth.

“Yes, but you’ve been off the ice and out of the gym for 6 months. The kids you were skating with haven’t been. They’re younger and fitter than you are. They’re on home ice, and they’re used to me and what I expect of them. You did great when I take all of that into consideration. This time next month I’m 100% sure that you will be ruling over that ice, and you probably will NOT yet be back at your full potential. Wilma was right. You’re a natural. And I look forward to getting and keeping you in shape so that you can go for Sochi.” She grinned down at him. “Now get out of those gym clothes and hit the shower. You know that your legs will feel a whole lot better if you do. See you in two days, JR!” with that she turned around and left the locker room, leaving JR grinning from ear to ear.

JR sits there a few minutes longer before undressing and going to do as ordered. He takes his hot shower, dries off and gets clean clothes on and heads for the bus stop to catch a ride back to campus.

The pool is nearly full when he gets there, a late swim practice going on. JR moves quickly and quietly around the pool to get to the gym. He spots Jacko practicing his starts and Nathan bobbing in the water listening intently to his coach’s instructions. He catches Nathan’s eye, waving hi, and ducking into the gym. He changes into another set of gym shorts, makes a mental note to do laundry again ASAP, and then climbs into the sauna sans shirt. He cranks up the temperature and gets comfortable.

Jacko finds him there about 15 minutes later. By then JR is soaked with sweat, flushed red with the heat, and his muscles are blissfully relaxed. Jacko discovers him slumped against the wooden bench and grinning.

“Junior, you look relaxed!” Jacko says. JR nods, sitting up and turning to look at the bigger man. That’s when Jacko’s eyes land on the tattoo stretched across JR’s chest. “Holy shit, what is that?!” Jacko asks, stepping all the way into the sauna and closing the door behind himself. JR grins at him.

“Umm… a tattoo?” JR asks. Jacko laughs.

“But it’s fucking HUGE? When did you get that?” he asks sitting down on the bench across from him.

“About a year ago. My older brothers and I got the same one at the same time,” he explains. Jacko nods staring at the black ink on JR’s chest.

“It’s awesome man, very hard core. Has Adrian seen that?” Jacko asks. JR thinks a second before shaking his head, confused. A huge smile spreads across Jacko’s face and he’s out the door a second later, calling for Nathan as he goes. JR rolls his eyes, grabbing up his towel and heading for the door. He steps out just as Jacko pulls Nathan up to it, dragging him by the arm. Nathan, who has just dried off and changed into his dry clothes to head home, looks confused.

“What is it, Jacko?” Nathan snaps, turning to look at JR. JR grins at him, dropping the towel in his hands down to side. Nathan’s eyes trail down, freezing on the tattoo covering JR’s chest. “Jesus,” Nathan whispers, his mouth dropping open in shock. JR waits for him to say something, but Nathan doesn’t, he just keeps staring. Jacko bursts out with fresh laughter, drawing more attention from the other swimmers in the area. JR laughs shaking his head. He dodges around Nathan heading back his locker to dry off and get changed.

Nathan seems to compose himself and the next time JR looks up after tying his shoes and putting on a t-shirt, Nathan is sitting a few feet down the bench. JR smiles at him, and Nathan smiles back, blushing a little.

“Hey, you want a ride back to the dorms? You remember what they said at your orientation. It’s not safe to walk alone at night across campus,” Nathan says. JR rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, I could use a ride. Thanks,” he nods his head, and starts cleaning out his locker. He figures if he has to do laundry this weekend he should do all of it at once. JR’s zipping up his bag when Jacko reappears.

“So when are we going to see you in action in the water, Junior,” he asks, leaning against a locker, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. JR looks up at him and laughs.

“You do know my name is not Junior?” he asks. Jacko looks at him blankly before replying.

“Yeah, so?” he asks. JR laughs. “Anyway, when ware we gonna get to see you in the pool?” Jacko prompts again.

“I don’t know. Not for a few days at least. My legs are killing me,” JR answers.

“What did you do to your legs?” Nathan asks looking concerned.

“Had my first training session tonight with the new coach in Oakland. She took no mercy on me and I’m going to be feeling it tonight and tomorrow.”

“Yikes. That bad?” Nathan asks. JR shrugs.

“Yeah. Imagine taking 6 months off swimming, and the first practice back, your coach expects a full regular practice out of you. I’m hurting bad. I need rest, which isn’t likely to happen in my dorm room.” He shrugs his shoulders again.

“Carl still being an ass?” Jacko asks, dropping his towel and stepping into fresh clothes. JR averts his eyes, and nods.

“Yep. I think I might move out of the dorms next semester. It’s not worth the money for room and board, when the food is crap, and my roommate makes me fucking miserable,” JR says in annoyance. Jacko barks with laughter.

“Want us to beat him up for you? We bigger than he is?” Jacko suggests. JR laughs shaking his head.

“No, I don’t think violence is really necessary at this point. But thanks for the offer,” he says. Jacko nods pulling on a t-shirt. Nathan stands up.

“You ready?” he asks. JR nods, scooping up his bag.

“You guys have practice next Friday?” he asks. Nathan nods. “Ok if I come then? I don’t back down from a challenge, and I have no practice on Thursday or Friday, so I should be ok. Does that work?” he asks. Nathan’s face lights up.

“That should be fine.” Jacko smirks at the words.

“We’re gonna show you just how hard being a swimmer really is, Junior. You just wait and see!” he crows. Nathan rolls his eyes.

“Shut up, Jacko!” he says. “Come on, JR.” JR laughs and follows him out of the locker room, and out of the aquatic center to Nathan’s car.

 

Nathan’s coaches, in an effort to give the team a minor break from the monotony of regular mid-season training, agree to let JR attend a mid-evening swim practice. And on the following Friday he turns up at the pool as planned ready to get his ass handed to him. Nathan meets him in the locker room. JR arrives wearing long board shorts under sweats. Nathan loans him a pair of swim goggles and a cap. He joins Nathan and the rest of the team in stretching and warming up their muscles. The Coaches and other swimmers seem impressed with his flexibility. JR can’t do some of the back breaking, dislocate your shoulders, stretches they can do, but he can do a mean split, and twist himself up into a pretzel. JR’s holding his own. Then, when stretching is over, the sweats start getting stripped off. JR finds himself surrounded by well-built muscled swimmers of both sexes. The guys are all taller than him, and so are a good portion of the ladies. But he takes a deep breath, and strips off his sweat pants and t-shirt anyway.

Nathan glances over him, face pinking up a little as his eyes land on JR’s chest, and then grinning at the sight of his swim trunks.

“Don’t you want to borrow a Speedo?” Nathan asks. JR grins at him, shaking his head.

“I refuse to wear one!” JR protests. “I show off the assets enough skating around in tights at the ice rink. I don’t need to show them off here too!” Nathan laughs helping him get his goggles and swim cap on.

“OK, come on, I assume you know freestyle?” he asks, heading for the right side of the pool. JR nods. He mimics throwing his arms over his head, one after the other, while turning his head to breathe. Nathan breaks out in fresh laughter, holding his stomach and shaking his head. “Close enough! Well that’s my stroke, so you’ll be with me today. First warm up laps.” He nods to his coach, an older man with graying hair, and a clipboard standing at the end of the lane. Nathan climbs up onto the starting block, and JR lets himself look. He crosses his arms over his chest and just looks.

Nathan’s torso is long and lean, his muscles well-defined and his skin unmarked. His chest is broad and his shoulders wide, but all in proportion with the rest of his body. JR forces himself to not stare at the small black briefs Nathan is wearing. They’re the same as all the rest of the guys suits, except for Jacko who for some reason is wearing a bright pink Hawaiian print pair, but somehow on Nathan they seem impossibly small. JR forces himself to look away, stepping up to the side of the pool, and watching as objectively as possible as Nathan bends down, freezes into position, and at the word “GO,” launches himself into the water. JR blinks unsure if he’s ever seen someone jump so fast before. It reminds him vividly of the speed needed to start a short track race.

He watches transfixed as Nathan swims to the end of the pool and back in less than a minute. Nathan stops when he touches the wall, pulling the goggles off his eyes and smiling up at JR and only slightly out of breath.

“You coming or not?” he asks. JR laughs and nods. He climbs up onto the start block and turns to the coach.

“Show me how this works?” he asks. The coach laughs and helps him get into start position, walking him through the steps for a proper start. When he has JR all set and ready to go, he claps his hands and JR launches himself into the water. He’s sure it’s a bad start, late, and sloppy, and he sort of partially belly flops into the water, but he starts swimming immediately which makes him feel a bit proud. He swims to the end, does his own little amateur version of a turn, and swims back. Nathan’s sitting in the water nodding his head when he comes up for air.

“Not bad. Your form is horrendous, but your kick is strong, and we definitely need to work on your turns and your starts, but overall not bad!” he says slapping JR on the back. JR laughs.

“Now what?” he asks.

“Four more laps for warm up. Then drills. Come on. You and me.” Nathan pulls his goggles back down onto his eyes, pressing them in and turning to push off from the wall. JR grins up at the coach standing above them shaking his head, and turns to follow.

JR does well, and lasts a lot longer than even he thought he would. He gives up about halfway through the drill practice. By then he’s swum about 20 laps of the pool. He begs for mercy, crawling out of the pool and flopping onto his back in the middle of the pool deck, staring up at the setting sun and groaning with pain. Nathan climbs out after him. He nudges JR’s hip with one long foot.

“You ok?” he asks, bending down over him. JR blinks his eyes back open and turns to look at him.

“I’m dead. My arms are made of lead. I’m done. I give up!” he shouts. Nathan laughs. He stands, grabs a towel from the pile at the side of the pool and tosses it at JR.

“Here, you big baby!” he says laughing. “But you’re staying until practice is over!” he orders. JR nods, sitting up and wrapping the towel around his shoulders. He crawls to the side of the pool and sits there through the rest of practice watching intently as Nathan and the rest of the team finish up their drills and do a few practice races. He cheers when Jacko wins the backstroke race, and then Nathan wins the freestyle sprints.

Soon the pool is clearing out, as swimmers climb out to shower, change, and head home. JR waits patiently, sticking his feet back into the water, and watching Nathan talk with his coaches and teammates. He watches him saying goodbye, smiling widely, and dripping water all over the place. Wet is definitely a good look on Nathan. Nathan waves off the last of the swimmers, coming back to sit down beside JR at the pools edge, his feet sliding back into the water.

“So…” he says leaning over to bump his shoulder against JR’s. “You did good!” he says grinning. JR laughs.

“I did ok. I really need to work on my upper body and core strength. I can’t keep getting beat by swimmers. It’s bad for my ego.”

“What ego?” Nathan asks with all sincerity. JR smiles at him.

“Oh, Nathan, you haven’t seen anything yet,” JR replies. “You really think I got to the Olympics without developing a bit of an ego?” Nathan laughs shaking his head, and pulling off his swim cap and goggles.

“Well we’ll just have to keep swamping you in the pool then, to keep that ego in check,” Nathan answers. “Come on,” he slides down off the wall and back into the pool. JR looks at him in confusion. “Come on swim with me for a little bit. I want to work on your technique.”

“But I’m tired,” JR whines. Nathan throws his head back and laughs, gripping JR’s ankles and pulling him yelping into the cooling water. JR pops up sputtering. He reaches out to smack Nathan, but the taller man dove away from him swimming for the other end of the pool, JR chasing after him, laughing all the way.

 

JR doesn’t remember who moves first. One minute they’re splashing around, kidding each other about random things and the next thing he knows he’s got Nathan’s lips pressed to his and his hands in Nathan’s wet hair. Nathan breaks the kiss panting into JR’s mouth. They stare at each other, neither of them pulling away any further. JR loosens his hold on Nathan’s hair, and gets pulled closer for his trouble, their hips pressing together. JR gasps, feeling Nathan’s growing erection pressed to his. He dives in for a second kiss, using his grip on Nathan’s hair to hold his head steady. Their teeth click together but neither of them seem to care. JR’s teeth find Nathan’s lower lip. He sucks the flesh into his mouth nipping at it. When Nathan’s mouth falls open in surprised pleasure, JR’s mouth takes advantage. JR jolts a little when his back hits the side of the pool, Nathan’s big hands pinning his hips to rough concrete, and smooth ceramic tiles. He wraps his arms around Nathan’s shoulders, wanting to climb that long body like a tree. His legs go around Nathan’s waist; his mouth breaking from Nathan’s to take in much needed Oxygen.

Nathan’s forehead presses to JR’s, their hands clasping at each other. One of Nathan’s hands slides down to grip JR’s thigh, holding their hips together under the water.

“JR?” he asks. JR smiles, pressing his mouth to Nathan’s again. Nathan returns the kiss, his other hand sliding around JR’s shoulders, to hike him up and in, their chests pressing tightly against one another. JR moans, his eyes closing and his mouth pulling from Nathan’s.

“Fuck,” he whispers, leaning back against the wall. Nathan pulls his arm back, his fingers and eyes drawn to the tattoo covering the majority of JR’s heaving chest. He traces the thick dark lines, following the starburst pattern down and around. He bends down pressing his mouth to the star hovering just under JR’s collarbone. JR makes a little whining sound, and looks up. He watches Nathan’s mouth travel down and to the right to press a kiss to the center of the eagle resting just above his heart. Nathan picks his head up, his face flushed, and his eyes wide. He looks down at JR’s face. He opens his mouth to speak when the slam of a door and a burst of laughter fills the pool area. They pull quickly apart, both fighting to catch their breath, and studiously avoiding each other’s eyes. A few of Nathan’s teammates walk up to them at the pool edge, and JR ducks under the water, hoping to cool his heated cheeks and calm his nerves. He pops up gasping for air, and pushing too long hair back off his forehead. Nathan’s pressed to the side of the pool, his arms crossed atop the edge, talking to his teammates.

“Yeah, tomorrow night. You guys will be there?” he asks. The talk brunette guy nods.

“Yeah definitely! 9pm?” the guy asked. Nathan nods.

“Yep! Jacko will probably be bringing Caity, so prepare yourself!” he laughs. The guy grins, reaching down to grip Nathan’s hand.

“At least I won’t have to watch Becks extra closely, if he’s distracted by his new girl!” the guy laughs. “Alright. We’ll see you then. Night, Nathan!” the guys turn and leave heading for the gym off the back of the pool deck. Nathan takes a deep breath steeling himself before sliding back down into the water. JR is further down the wall, back pressed to the concrete and arm looped over the lane line to keep himself up. He’s got both of his hands pressed to his face, and he’s taking deep breaths. He tilts his head up and back, eyes going to the stars twinkling in the sky. He looks down after a minute, before looking straight at Nathan.

“So, I’ll see you later?” he asks, turning around to push himself up out of the pool. Nathan feels his chest constrict and nods in confusion as he watches JR climb out of the pool.

“Yeah, I guess. Are you still coming to the party?” Nathan asks, staring up at the younger man. He’s standing beside the pool, dripping chlorinated water all over, and wringing out the legs of his swim trunks. JR shrugs, doing everything he can to avoid watching Nathan climb out of the pool to stand beside him.

“I don’t know. You know I have another stat quiz on Monday,” he rolls his shoulders, bending down and scooping up a white towel to dry off with. Nathan sighs.

“There’ll be plenty of time over the weekend to study, besides we were gonna review on Sunday.” JR doesn’t respond and Nathan frowns. “Ok, well you know you’re always welcome,” he says, a touch of sadness in his voice. He turns away scooping up his own towel, wrapping it around his waist, and heading toward the showers. JR waits, watching him go, confusion warring inside of him. His fists balled up at his sides, and his nails biting into his own palms, he starts off after him to shower and change.

 

The house is packed the next night when JR gets there. There are people everywhere and loud music playing. He’s greeted by most of the swim team members he sees, getting claps on the back and smiles of welcome. But there are other people there too. Some look like academics. He overhears two girls talking about being pre-med which points to them being classmates of Nathan’s. Others are clearly Jacko’s friends, surfer dudes with a beer in each hand and long sun-bleached hair. JR figures he’s probably the only Freshman at the party who’s not also a swimmer. He stops in the kitchen to get a bottle of water, and goes back to searching for either of the house’s official occupants. Jacko is nowhere to be found which is suspicious to JR. You’d think he would be the life of a party no matter who else was there. Nathan, he finally finds in the living room, perched on the end of the couch, balanced on the arm of it with a beer in his hand, immersed in a conversation with all the people gathered around him.

JR stands across the room from him, leaning against the wall sucking down water, and watching him interact with his friends. Nathan’s laughing at jokes, having a good time, but overall, JR decides, he looks distracted and maybe a little bit sad. JR doesn’t want to go over and interrupt. He’s honestly not sure he’d be welcome. So he stands there in the corner, tucked away in the shadows, feeling like half stalker and half pathetic creeper. He stands there until his bottle of water is gone and he needs another one, the house is hot and stuffed with so many bodies packed inside, leaving him thirsty.

JR ducks his head, heading across the crowded room, sure that Nathan won’t notice him. He gets to the kitchen and opens the fridge, pulling out a second bottle of water. He twists the cap off and takes a drink when the sound of running feet and someone flying around the corner sends him reeling around. Nathan leans against the doorway, acting casual, and smiling widely. JR grins at him, at how he’s trying to pretend like he hadn’t just launched himself half way across the house to get there a step behind JR.

“Hey!” JR calls out over the music, louder here than in the living room. Nathan smiles at him, arms folded across his chest.

“Hey, JR! When did you get here?” Nathan asks loudly. JR steps closer to hear better. He shrugs his shoulders.

“I don’t know… about an hour ago!” he replies. There’s surprise in Nathan’s face, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Can we go somewhere and talk? Somewhere quieter?” he asks. JR takes a deep breath before nodding. Nathan’s grin is near blinding. He grabs another beer out of the cooler on the counter, and points to the stairs in the hallway. He starts up them, checking every other step to make sure JR is following. The sound from downstairs is dampened as soon as they turn the corner of the landing. It’s dark up there, and Nathan pauses to talk to JR. “I’m not trying to assume anything here, it’s just in my room we can talk without being interrupted.” JR laughs a little and nods.

“I’m not a 15 year old girl trying to protect her virtue, Nathan,” he teases. Nathan laughs loudly at that proclamation, and shaking his head starts down the short dark hallway. All the doors up here are closed. Nathan reaches his door, and throws it open, both stepping in as he flips the light on. There’s a shriek and a curse, and JR blinks in the sudden light. His jaw drops open as he processes just what he’s seeing. Clothes strewn about, and Jacko spread out across the bed on his back, a naked blonde girl sitting astride his hips, rocking back and forth. She smiles, waving at them, the motion of her hips not stopping.

“Dude! Knock?!” Jacko says, picking up his head and scowling. Nathan gasps in astonishment.

“Dude! My room!?” he replies. He looks at the girl then. “Jacko!” he says sounding angrier than even before. “That is not Caity!” he replies. The girl laughs, and from behind the bed a brunette girl’s head pops up followed by the rest of her top half. Her very naked top half.

“Hey, Nate Nate!” she giggles, waving enthusiastically. Nathan sighs, putting one hand to his forehead, and closing his eyes.

“Hey, Caity,” he says, vaguely waving in her direction. JR fights back laughter as he watches the girl, fall over to land on her side giggling loudly. Nathan sighs again.

“Jacko, this is unacceptable! Not in my room! You owe me new sheets, a new comforter, and I swear to God if this room smells like sex tomorrow or I find one used condom or empty beer can I will never forgive you!” With that he backs out of the room, tugging on JR’s hand, pulling him out into the hallway. He slams the door behind them, leaning against the closed door and looking at JR.

Only then does JR let his amusement bubble out, Nathan quickly joining him in loud laughter. The two lean against each other, both doubling over with their mirth, and turning bright red from lack of oxygen. JR recovers first, pulling himself back up into a standing position.

“I could use some fresh air,” he says quietly. Nathan nods.

“Yeah, air would be great!” he agrees turning to climb back down the stairs, JR following right behind. Nathan leads him through the crowds of people, beginning to slowly thin, and out the back door, in to the yard. There’s no one back there and Nathan tugs him around the side of the house to a couple of lounge chairs scattered about and a good uninterrupted view of the stars. JR plops down, watching Nathan do the same. His face is still flushed from embarrassment and anger, and laughter. But he’s grinning, and he turns to look at JR with a light in his eyes that had been missing earlier in the evening.

“I wasn’t sure you were coming tonight,” Nathan says. JR sighs scratching at the back of his head in nervousness.

“I wasn’t sure I was coming tonight,” he admits. Nathan frowns, looking down and picking at the wrapper on his beer bottle.

“If this is about last night,” Nathan’s cut off when JR sits forward.

“No!” he says interrupting him. “Well sort of. I’m sorry about last night. I’m sorry that I sort of had a little freak out. That wasn’t about you. Or the kissing, or..” he pauses then, sitting back in his seat, and sighing.

“JR, what is going on?” Nathan asked. “If you’re not attracted to me or you’re not gay than just,” he’s cut off again, this time by JR standing up and beginning to pace.

“No, that’s not it. I’m definitely bi, or mostly gay really if I’m being honest. And I am definitely, definitely attracted to you, Nathan. I’m just,” JR stops talking, taking a deep breath and flushing a bit with embarrassment. “I sort of just got out of a long relationship and it didn’t exactly end that well on my side of things, and,” he trails off again.

“You’re not ready?” Nathan asks, sitting on the edge of his seat and nodding in understanding. JR shrugs.

“Not exactly, it’s just you remind me of him in a lot in some ways. And sometimes it freaks me out a little. Because I don’t want to get fucked over again. I know you aren’t him. That you’re really nothing like him, but you make me feel like he did sometimes,” JR explained, “you know before it went all to hell…”

“Oh,” Nathan whispers. “Do you mind if I ask some questions?” JR nods, sitting back in his seat. “This was a guy?” Nathan asks, getting a nod. “When did you break up? How long ago I mean?” JR shrugged picking at the seam of his jean shorts.

“Well things started to fall apart just before the games… I had this bad fall at trials in September. I can’t believe I’ve known you this long and haven’t told you yet,” he pauses to take a breath. “I had this really bad fall at Olympic Trials, last September. I was in Colorado for two months rehabbing from my injury. We weren’t even sure I was going to be able to skate in Vancouver. But I did. I healed really well, ahead of schedule even, and I got back to SLC right before Thanksgiving. As soon as the holiday was over, we were all back in training,” he shrugs. “That’s when it seemed different, like we were both so wrapped up and focused on training that we didn’t have much time for each other, and things just felt off.”

“Tell me this guy didn’t break up with you right before the Olympics!” Nathan says, looking shocked. JR laughs shaking his head.

“No, nothing like that!” he promises.

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want too,” Nathan says. JR rolls his eyes.

“I want to tell you I just haven’t had to tell anyone before. I’m trying to figure out how best to explain it.” Nathan sits back in his seat, crossing one leg up over the other and gripping his ankle with his left hand.

“I’ll stop interrupting. Please take your time,” he says placidly. JR laughs, sinking back in his seat and taking another drink of water.

“We went to the Olympics and it was great! I medaled, he medaled, the relay medaled. It was amazing! And afterward… Ok. There’s something you need to know for this to make sense.” Nathan waits patiently. “My boyfriend was Apolo Ohno.” JR finally blurts. Nathan’s eyes go a little wide.

“Apolo Ohno?” he asks. “JR? Seriously? That’s like me telling you that my ex is Michael Fucking Phelps!” he says sitting forward. “How in the world could I, in anyway, remind you of Apolo Anton Ohno?” he asks. JR grins at him, turning a little red.

“Well, you’re both smart, and funny, and good-natured. You both smile and laugh all the time. You’re both friendly, and popular, and quick to help out someone who needs it. You both seem to get me on some weird level. You’re both beautiful, and athletic, and sometimes overly optimistic.” He stops there, looking Nathan in the eyes. “I don’t want you to think that you’re some kind of replacement for him. I don’t think of him when we’re hanging out. You’re more different than you are the same. I mean you’re smart in a different way. He’s got a head for business and you want to be a doctor. You’re much more easygoing than he is, and your sense of humors are way different. When you laugh it makes me want to laugh too, and you’re not 8 years older than me. I really do like you Nathan.”

“I’m glad to hear that. That you like me. I’m just sorry he hurt you,” Nathan says. JR smiles a little sadly.

“Apolo is a great guy, Nathan. But he was ready to move on from Short Track, and for some reason that meant moving on from me too. After the games he went on a media blitz tour, while we finished out the season, and the texts and calls slowly grew shorter and less frequent. When we all went to Washington, DC in April to meet the President, he told me he thought we should break-up. That we were in different places of our lives. It wasn’t exactly mutual.”

“That really sucks.”

“Yeah it did. It was like 6 months ago,” he says shaking his head. “I think it was inevitable though. I’ve had a while to think about what happened and how it went down,” he rolls his eyes again. “And now I’ve dumped all of this on you out of nowhere…” he laughs in nervousness.

“Hardly out of nowhere. I wanted you to tell me!” Nathan says.

“I just wanted you to know why I was weird the other night. I like you and I’m really attracted to you. But I’m a little bit complicated right now,” JR explains. Nathan looks up at the stars.

“Well you won’t always be. Right?” he asks. JR laughs nodding.

“I hope not! I’d like to get laid again at some point in the future,” JR says joking. Nathan's grin is huge.

“So I shouldn’t start growing a little something right here?” he asks stroking his chin. JR’s shock spreads quickly across his face.

“No! Oh God no! Don’t even think about it!” he practically yells, making Nathan burst out laughing in response. They laugh for a few minutes before Nathan turns serious.

“I get that you’re kind of messed up right now. And you’re not really looking for another boyfriend. But does that mean we can’t be friends?” he asks. JR grins at him.

“Of course we can. You’ve been a great friend since we met. I hope we can continue that. I just don’t want things to be weird.”

“Zero weirdness,” Nathan promises. “Come on, we should get back to the party. And I swear if Jacko is still screwing those girls in my room, I’m going to break his surfboard in half!” Nathan says standing up and heading back for the back door of the house, JR following slowly behind.

 

Things settle into a groove after the party. JR comes over again on Sunday, and Nathan helps him study. Everything stays very PG. Well… as PG as things can be with Jacko in the house too. On Monday JR takes his Stat quiz, and passes it, thanks to his tutoring from Nathan. He celebrates by telling Nathan that he’s due for a Short Track practice session soon, and to clear an afternoon on his schedule. Nathan laughs when JR tells him this but clears an afternoon off from training the following Saturday. In the meantime they keep things casual. They have fun and they hang out. They meet for coffee, to study together, to play video games and watch stupid movies. They even work out together at the gym when their schedules allow it. Then the day of the short track session arrives. It’s kind of a turning point actually.

JR leaves Nathan directions to the Northern California Speedskating Association in Oakland. It’s only a 15 minute drive from campus. Nathan gets there a bit early, not wanting to be late and is impressed by the size of the Oakland Ice Center. JR’s already been there a few hours, having practice, so he’s warmed up and on the ice already when Nathan arrives. He doesn’t notice Nathan at first. He’s just finished his coaching session and is skating warm down laps, but he’s visibly distracted by the little kids getting on the ice for their own short track lesson. JR’s coach has turned her attention to them, and is coaching them through proper start technique. She calls JR over, asking him to give a demonstration. The little kids stare up at him in awe, helmets huge on their heads, and all of them wearing big bulky jackets over their sweats to ward off the chill of the ice. JR digs one skate tip into the ice, planting the other behind him and bends down, one arm raised in front of him, the other extended behind. The coach skates around him in a circle pointing things out before clapping her hands and urging the kids to give it a try. They line up along the start line, getting into start position, and the coach goes down the line adjusting things here and there. JR reaches out to adjust one kids arm. Pulling it further forward and into the right angle; earning a smile from his coach and a nod. He goes along the line from the other end, helping her get the kids into the proper position.

Nathan watches from the side of the ice, behind the Plexiglas wall surrounding the rink. The kids obviously look up to JR, watching him with wide eyes and mimicking his every move on the ice. Nathan stays there for ten minutes, watching JR interact with his coach and the kids, and trying really hard to NOT focus on the stretch and pull of the Lycra skinsuit molding to JR’s ass and thighs. But after 10 minutes he decides he has to say something, lest JR think he’s not coming. He waits until the kids are standing around waiting for further instruction to knock on the window. JR and his coach both turn in Nathan’s direction. JR’s eyes lighting up as a smile takes over his face. His coach rolls her eyes, nudging him in the shoulder. JR waves to the kids, skating in Nathan’s direction. He steps off the ice through an opening in the wall, and grabs up his skate guards from the bench. Nathan waits for him to stand up before reaching out to shake his hand. JR pulls him into a hug, patting his back.

“Hey Nathan!” he says, stepping back. Nathan smiles wider in response.

“Are you done with practice already?” he asks, looking out at the ice. The coach has regained the attention of the young skaters and is having them skate laps to work on their crossover technique. JR nods.

“Yep. Come on, I got a suit for you and everything!” JR says teasing. Nathan groans.

“I didn’t make you wear a Speedo! Why do I have to wear spandex?” he asks. JR grins.

“Because, you never have before. I have worn a Speedo, and it’s not something I should ever have to repeat. Have you ever worn a skinsuit before? No, of course not!” JR says leading him to the locker room. Nathan rolls his eyes following him inside.

 

20 minutes later, Nathan sits down on the bench to let JR help him get his skates on, his smile huge and triumphant. JR squats in front of him, tying his skates on with probably more force than necessary and muttering to himself.

“Too goddamn fucking tall for the skinsuit. Just my luck, I had to fall..” his voice drops too low for Nathan to hear, but the words send his heart racing in his chest. Had he just heard what he thinks he’s heard? JR stands up, hands on his hips and face all business.

“Come on, up swim-boy! Let’s see if you can stand!” he says stepping back. Nathan puts the muttered words away to over examine later and pulls himself up. It’s weird to stand on the skates. He’s gone ice skating before but these skates feel weird on his feet. They’re longer, the boots lower, and the blades offset to the side. He feels like he’s going to tilt to the right, and JR’s arm shoots out to correct him. “They’re offset so we can turn without rubbing the boots on the ice. You’ll get used to it. Ready to get on the ice?” he asks. Nathan adjusts his weight on the skates, and nods.

Nathan does better on the ice than he’d anticipated. He falls almost immediately when he tries to do one long glide on the ice. JR laughs, helping him pick himself up off the hard ground.

“These aren’t ice skates, Nathan! The blades are curved for cornering. Short choppy moves and gliding around the corners. And be more careful, the goal of today is not to hurt you! Your coaches would kill me!” he says. Nathan laughs, getting back to his feet.

“Ok. So show me how this works!” Nathan says. JR nods.

“We’ll start with skating position,” he demonstrates the hunched over position short trackers spend most of their time skating in. Nathan looks him over carefully, and gives it a try. JR cracks up. “Short track start position, not swimming start position! You’re not on the blocks!” he complains. Nathan grins, adjusting his stance to more closely match JR’s. “Good. Now stay that way for 15 minutes, and skate forward without standing up!” JR orders. He catches Nathan when he falls forward. “See! Not so easy!” he teases. Nathan shakes his head but can’t help but agree.

They stay on the ice for about an hour, long after the kids have cleared off the ice and been picked up by their parents. By the end of the hour they’ve stopped talking. Nathan had admitted he could never do this for the four hours a day that Short Trackers do, that his legs and back ache just from less than an hour. JR had just grinned, shrugged and told Nathan he’s proud he came and gave it a try. So by the time JR’s coach kicks them out, JR is skating laps around Nathan, flying past him at near top speed, and making Nathan’s baggy sweat shirt flap with the force of his passing. Nathan, meanwhile, is skating in slow laps to stay warm, keeping to the center of the ice, leaving the track clear for JR. He watches JR skate in circles, amazed at his speed, and yes, at his stamina. The boy just skates and skates, without seeming to get tired. Nathan wants to keep watching him, but JR’s coach is calling him over to the side of the rink and then JR’s waving to him to leave the ice. Nathan skates over stepping off the ice, and suddenly feeling the burn in his legs start to increase. JR grins at him, sitting him down to get the skates off. He hands Nathan his sneakers.

“Jog,” he orders, “before the burn sets in for the night. It’ll loosen the muscles and help them relax.” Nathan nods, taking off in a slow jog around the rink. JR turns to thank his coach who smiles at him, patting him on his back.

“Recruiting new skaters, JR?” she asks laughing. JR watches Nathan jog off.

“Nah, just proving that short track’s a lot harder than people assume,” he tells her. “Thanks for letting us have some ice time, Nancy.” She grins patting him on the back.

“No problem. Tell him he has potential if ever gets ambitious!” she kids. JR laughs loudly in response and sits down to take off his own skates. She smiles at him waving goodbye and leaving the rink. JR ties on his sneakers and goes to join Nathan in running a few laps.

“So what did you think?” he asks Nathan when they come to a stop near the benches. Nathan collapses on the hard wood and rubs at the remaining ache in his thighs. It’s late by then, the rink almost deserted.

“I don’t know how you guys do this!” he says watching JR dry off his skate blades and pack the skates carefully away. JR laughs.

“You get used to it. God my legs are going to be killing me tomorrow!” he says standing up and grinning down at Nathan. “Come on, a hot shower will help those muscles,” he picks up the two pairs of skates and heads for the locker room, Nathan standing up to follow.

The locker room is as quiet as the rest of the rink, and they’re alone. Nathan sits down on the bench in front of their chosen lockers and unties his shoes, pulling them and his socks off. JR sits down a few feet away, doing the same.

“So how’d you get into Short Track?” Nathan asks, pulling his sweaty sweat shirt off and running a hand through his hair. JR gives him a sideways grin.

“I skated inline my whole life. Then when I was about 12 I was watching the Winter Olympics and saw short track for the first time. There was this kid on who my whole family knew. It was his first Olympics. I figured if some kid from Federal Way could get good enough at short track to get to the Olympics and to medal, than surely I could too!”

“Apolo?” Nathan asks. JR nods, shrugging.

“He used to skate inline with my brothers when he was a kid. I’ve known him since I was 3 years old. The sport looked fun and dangerous. All the crashes looked so exciting.” He shakes his head, tossing his helmet, and gloves into the bag sitting between his bare feet. He reaches up to unzip his skinsuit, pulling off the Kevlar protecting his throat and tugging the suit down around his waist and off his arms. “You get a whole new appreciation for those falls and crashes when it nearly kills you!” he says laughing. Nathan stops short.

“Nearly kills you?” he asks. JR’s face freezes up.

“Yeah, I told you about my bad fall last year. About the two months of rehab,” he explains. Nathan turns on the bench, swinging one long leg over to straddle it facing JR.

“I figured you tore a muscle, dislocated something, broke a bone. Not that you’d nearly died!” Nathan says leaning toward him. “What the hell happened?” he asks. JR grimaces, turning to look at him.

“I fell during the 500 semi, went crashing into the boards. I landed with my right blade stuck into my left thigh. It was bad,” he shrugs his shoulders. Nathan scoots closer.

“How bad?” he asks. JR scratches at the back of his head, and doesn’t look at Nathan as he answers.

“It sliced to the bone. Seven inches long, 3 inches deep. Cut the muscles almost in two. It took about 60 stitches to close it up. It missed the major arteries but I could have bled out on the ice. We put pressure on it immediately and they rushed me to the hospital to have emergency surgery. For a while they thought I wouldn’t be able to walk again, let alone skate. It took over a month for me to walk on it and a little over two for me to get back on the ice. They thought it was a miracle.”

“Jesus Christ,” Nathan whispers. He watches JR intently. “Let me see it,” he says softly. JR turns to look at him.

“This isn’t an anatomy lesson, Nathan! I’m not going to satisfy your inner doctor with some show and tell!” JR snaps turning away on the bench. Nathan shakes his head.

“That’s not why I want to see it. JR?” he says reaching for JR’s bare shoulder. The younger man tenses, but turns around to face him. “Let me see it,” JR must see something in his expression because he nods taking a deep breath and tugging his skinsuit down, lifting his ass up, and sliding the fabric down and off. He sits back down, tugging his boxer briefs up his thigh to expose the long dark scar arching over his thigh. Nathan stares at it for a minute, eyes slowly tracing up the crescent shaped curve of it. It’s dark and ugly, “still healing” his mind supplies. He knows it’s a little over 12 months old, and that’s about how old he’d guess, even if he hadn’t know the exact age. It’s healed well so far, smooth and even. It’s wide, but the depth accounts for that. Nathan can’t imagine how much it must have hurt. How long it must have hurt. Without conscious thought he reaches out and runs two fingers down its length. JR gasps and Nathan jumps pulling his hand back.

“Is it still sore?” he asks. JR doesn’t look at him.

“Sometimes. Not often,” he replies. Nathan looks back down at it. He reaches out again, and presses gently against it, following it from one end to the other with his fingers. JR’s thigh jumps at the touch, the muscles quaking at the sensation.

“Sensitive?” he asks, sliding closer on the bench. JR gasps, nodding, and still not turning to look at him. Nathan presses the length of his hand to the scar, his finger tips grazing JR’s inner thigh and garnering him a little whine in response. “JR?” he whispers. “I want to kiss you,” Nathan breathes. “Is that ok?” he asks. JR picks his head up, turning to look at Nathan, who is so close against his side that they’re practically skin to skin. He looks up into Nathan’s eyes and nods. Nathan smiles leaning down to press his mouth to JR’s. JR groans pulling him closer, opening his mouth, and letting Nathan’s tongue slide inside. Nathan gasps, starting to get hard in his sweat pants. JR grins against his mouth, lifting himself up and throwing one leg over the bench to straddle it facing Nathan. He leans forward kissing him again, straining his neck to kiss Nathan more comfortably. He breaks the kiss, shaking his head.

“You are entirely too fucking tall!” he swears, sliding forward on the bench, slinging his legs up over Nathan’s and pulling himself up to sit in Nathan’s lap. Nathan’s laughs, his hands sliding around JR’s hips to his lower back.

“Sorry. Not much I can do about it. Just something you’ll have to get used to,” he teases. JR grins at him, running one hand down Nathan’s long muscular chest and across his abs.

“Hmm…” JR murmurs, rocking his hips against Nathan's. “I guess I’ll just have to learn to adapt,” he whispers, his arms going around Nathan’s shoulders. Nathan grins, rubbing one hand up JR’s back, the other sliding down over his ass. JR lets out a little moan, and Nathan nips at his bottom lip. When JR dives in for another kiss Nathan evades his mouth. JR blinks at him in confusion. “What?” he asks. Nathan smiles a little hesitantly.

“I thought you were complicated right now. That it was too soon. I don’t want you to kiss me if you don’t mean it.”

“Trust me, I mean it,” JR says smiling. Nathan shakes his head, pulling JR’s hips to his tighter.

“Fine, I don’t want do this if you’re going to regret it,” Nathan says. JR groans a little, half in pleasure and half in exasperation.

“I won’t regret it. How in the world could I possibly regret you?” JR asks. He sighs, running one hand through the hair on the back of Nathan’s head. “He’s gone. It’s over. It hurt and it sucked ass. But it’s been seven months. I’m in a different state, in a different place in my life, and I’ve got this great guy sitting here, under me, hard as a rock for me, who cares enough to not let me do something stupid. I like you. I want you. Let’s give it a shot,” he suggests. Nathan grins, his right hand squeezing at JR’s ass and his hips flexing under JR’s.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” he replies, leaning in to take JR’s mouth with his own again. JR groans opening his mouth to suck at Nathan’s, pressing his chest to Nathan’s and rotating his hips just enough to make Nathan’s breath catch and his hands cling that much harder. JR breaks away from the kiss sucking in air, and pressing kisses to Nathan’s cheek, down along his jaw, and over his Adam’s apple. He sucks at the hollow of Nathan’s throat until the older man makes a breathy needy sound. “Showers?” JR asks. Nathan’s hand slid up JR’s back to cradle his head, tilting it up so he could take it with his own.

“No,” he murmurs against JR’s mouth. “No time. Right here,” he whispers, tugging at the front of JR’s boxer briefs. JR grunts, scooting back a few inches to give Nathan room to maneuver. He pushes JR’s underwear down, taking hold of JR’s erection and pulling it free. He breaks the kiss to look down at JR’s dick. It’s pretty, about what you’d expect for a man of JR’s build. Not too terribly long, but thick and neatly curved. Nathan palms the length of it, squeezing it gently in his hand. JR groans.

“Seven months, Nathan. Seven goddamn months. There will be plenty of time for exploring later...” he reassures, rocking his hips up into Nathan’s hand. Nathan smiles, rubbing his hand up the length of it, and back down again. It’s hot and hard, and beautiful, perfectly JR. He tightens his grip, making JR’s breath stutter in reaction. The head is wet with precum, and he uses it to slick the length, pulling down and twisting and making JR pant.

“It’s beautiful, JR,” Nathan breathes, sliding his lips down JR’s throat. “Please let me do this right,” he whispers. JR groans, but nods, and leans back, bracing his right hand behind himself on the bench, and using the other to guide Nathan’s mouth down. Nathan licks and kisses across JR’s collar bone, and over his tattoo. The same tattoo he’d just started to investigate a week and a half before when they’d been interrupted in the pool. Nathan’s been with guys with tats before, but nothing this big and bold and dark. It fascinates him.

He racks his teeth across the top most sun ray, kissing across the white eagle, and down to JR’s nipple, the only flesh the tattoo artist had carefully left unaltered. He bites it, rolling his tongue across it and squeezes his hand where it’s wrapped around JR’s dick. JR’s hips jerk in reaction, pressing up into Nathan’s hand, his chest pounding with the force of his heart beat. Nathan uses his free hand to support JR’s arched back, helping him lean backward to spread out on the bench behind him. Nathan’s mouth follows the downward motion, never breaking contact with JR’s flesh. JR’s thighs slide off Nathan’s hips as he scoots back on the bench. He fists JR’s erection and slowly keeps licking down, following the line of JR’s abs and around his belly button. JR groans, reaching up with his newly freed hand to muffle the sound, his other hand tightening in Nathan’s hair. Nathan smiles where his mouth is pressed to JR’s stomach. Having mercy, he slides down further licking across JR’s cock head and giving it a long slow pull. JR’s hips jerk at the double stimulation, and he squeaks behind the barrier of his own hand.

Nathan laughs, pausing to breathe a moment before taking JR’s dick into his mouth. It’s full and hot on his tongue, and he sucks eagerly, taking him deep before sliding him back out again. JR groans, a fresh sweat breaking out on his forehead. He arches against the bench, pleasure overwhelming his system.

“Nathan,” he whines pressing his hips up into Nathan’s mouth and hands. “Jesus!” he cries, head thumping back against the bench beneath them. Nathan’s mouth pulls away making JR whine a little, and pick his head up. Nathan grins at him, wiping at his mouth.

“You have to be quiet!” Nathan teases. JR groans, nodding. He puts his head back down, closing his eyes and his mouth. He wiggles his hips, shifting them minutely toward Nathan and waits. Nathan doesn’t make him wait long. He takes JR deep and swallows. JR bites back a howl, gritting his teeth and tugging at Nathan’s hair. His legs come up without his conscious control and he comes down the older man’s throat. JR lets out a little grunt of pleasure and goes limp on the bench, staring wide eyed at the ceiling and panting for air. He breathes deep, calming his racing heart, and relaxing muscle by muscle. He doesn’t know what to say. Nathan laughs a little, and stands up. He bends over JR’s body, smiling down at him and shaking his head. “Good?” he asks. JR nods, grinning back, and reaching up to pull Nathan’s head back to his own for a kiss. When Nathan pulls back, JR follows, keeping their mouths pressed together and tongues tangled until they’re both sitting upright on the bench facing each other once more.

JR finally breaks free of the kiss when breathing becomes necessary. He presses his forehead to Nathan’s and just breathes, his eyes shut. After a moment his eyes fly open.

“Shit!” he hisses, he lets go of Nathan to reach for his cell on the shelf in his locker. Nathan stares in confusion as JR’s eyes go wide. “Shit. Shit. Shit!” JR says, hastily tugging his underwear back up around his waist. He plops back down and grins at Nathan. “The rink closes in seven minutes. We have to go,” he explains. Nathan’s face must fall because JR’s practically in his lap a second later kissing him again. His mouth moves with intent on Nathan’s. He breaks the kiss, blushing a little. “Can I come back to your house?” he asks. Nathan’s face lights up in reply.

“If you want too…” he says, a little unsure. JR grins at him. He reaches down to press the heel of his palm against the front of Nathan’s sweat pants.

“I want too,” JR says sincerely. He looks down to check his phone. “Fuck. Five minutes. Get your shoes on. We’ll shower at your place.” He reaches into his gym bag to yank on a t-shirt, and then wiggling the rest of the way out of his skinsuit pulls on some baggy shorts, and reties his sneakers. He watches Nathan yank his shoes back on, sans socks, and put on a fresh t-shirt.

They scoop up bags of clothing and gear, and practically race to the exit, where security is preparing to lock the doors. It’s late, after 11pm, and the air, Nor Cal in mid-October, is just starting to get slightly chilly at night. They walk to Nathan’s car in silence. He unlocks the doors and pops the trunk open. They drop their bags inside, JR’s skates, and the pair he rented from his club for Nathan to use, going on the floorboard of the backseat.

JR watches him drive for a few minutes, and wanting to wait until the car is stopped at a stoplight to say anything. By then they’re halfway back to the dorms, Nathan’s left foot has started tapping in nervousness, and he’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles are white. JR grins, reaching over to pry Nathan’s hand off the steering wheel. Nathan’s hand goes limp at his touch, sliding down off the wheel and curling around his own. They finally hit a red light. Nathan looks over and smiles at him. JR blushes a little.

“I’m a little out of practice at this whole new relationship thing. But I want you to know I’m a firm believer in reciprocation and mutual orgasms…” he says. Nathan laughs, relaxing in his seat and nodding.

“Good to hear that,” he says watching the light change to green and driving forward.

“So the next one of us to come will definitely be you. Fair warning, I give great hand jobs.” Nathan laughs again in response, turning onto his street.

“How do you feel about shower sex?” he suggests. JR grins.

“There’s nothing like getting hot and steamy in a hot and steamy bathroom. It’ll be good for your legs. Hot water and steam followed by a good orgasm. That’ll relax those muscle aches right away.” He watches Nathan smile, pulling into his garage and shutting off the car. They race for the door, and once inside, up the stairs to the bathroom.

 

Jacko seems nonplussed when he finds the two of them snuggling on the couch the next morning. He’s more upset that they’re eating his cereal, than that JR is practically in Nathan’s lap. He cracks some joke about keeping their sex lives off of the couch and not eating all his cocoa puffs before wandering back out of the room, scratching his balls. JR and Nathan laugh in response. JR presses a kiss to Nathan’s mouth before reluctantly standing up off the couch. Nathan makes a displeased sound, but JR grins at him.

“I have to go! I have Statistics in a few hours. I need to get changed back at the dorm and you have practice later,” JR explains. Nathan stands up off the couch, reaching out to pull JR flush against his body.

“You coming back later?” he asks. JR grins up at him.

“Sure. You want to do dinner?” Nathan blushes a little.

“Like a date?” he asks. JR laughs.

“Sure, we haven’t had one of those yet. Could be fun.” Nathan nods.

“Ok. Talk to you later?” he asks, pressing a kiss to JR’s mouth. JR kisses him back a moment before pulling back.

“Yes. I’ll call you after class,” JR promises, heading for the door. Nathan watches him go a smile on his face.

 

JR collapses beside Nathan on the bed, and panting for air. Nathan groans, rolling over to face JR and smiling at him. They’ve been dating for only a few days, but the sex is already fantastic.

“Thank you!” he says enthusiastically leaning over for a kiss. JR laughs against his mouth.

“You don’t have to thank me every time I get you off. You’re going to give me a complex! Besides it should really be me thanking you,” he says in reply, sliding his arm around Nathan’s limp body and pressing closer. Nathan puts his head down on his pillow curling up on his side to face JR.

“I don’t think this should be the topic for our first fight, so why don’t we just drop it?” he says teasingly. JR laughs and nods, pushing at the sheets covering them both and stretching his arms up over his head. The tattoo stretching across his chest instantly catches Nathan’s attention, as it usually does whenever he sees it. He curls closer, reaching out to trace the simpler lines of it with a finger tip. “I get the sun rays,” Nathan says following along one of the longer ones. “And the stars,” he continues bending to press a kiss to the lowest one, “Filipino pride right?” he asks. JR grins nodding. Nathan smiles leaning up to examine the eagle. “But this is throwing me. It’s not a bald eagle, so it’s not America. What’s this part mean?” he asks running his thumb back and forth across the beautifully detailed bird.

“My Mom’s Filipino, but my Dad’s family is Polish, so the white eagle,” he explains. Nathan nods in sudden understanding.

“What made you decide on getting this one done?” Nathan asks, laying his head back down on his pillow, his fingers still tracing the design.

“My brothers and I all wanted to get something that would represent us. The three of us. We wanted the design to be something simple but bold. David came up with this Polish and Filipino coming together idea. But then Chris and David kept outdoing each other with how big they thought it should be thinking I’d object. But I said whatever and let them do this huge tat that covered almost my entire chest. Then they were both screwed. They couldn’t let me, their baby brother, get away with getting it huge, and getting it smaller on themselves, so they got it big too. Now all three of us have it. Our heritage big and proud and permanently printed over our hearts.” He says it a bit sardonically and Nathan laughs. “What about you? I’ve noticed your lack of ink. Is that normal for a swimmer?” JR asks. Nathan shrugs.

“Not really. Quite the opposite really. Most of the guys I know have at least one tat. I don’t know very many at all who don’t have any. Especially if they went to the games. It’s like a badge of honor or a tradition to get the rings.”

“How come you don’t then?” JR asks. Nathan laughs.

“My mother would kill me dead if I even thought about it!” he jokes. JR laughs.

“My mom wasn’t too happy with the three of us, to be honest. But she got over it. We were all adults and you are too. If you want one get one!” he challenged. Nathan shook his head.

“Well…” he trails off and JR sits up, leaning on his own bent arm to look down at Nathan’s face.

“Hmm. Why do I think that’s just the excuse you give your teammates when they ask why you don’t have one? There's another reason isn’t there? Let me guess… fear of needles!” he teases. Nathan flushes red with embarrassment, his hands coming up to hide his face. JR bursts out laughing, shifting to straddle Nathan’s waist pulling Nathan’s hands back down to his sides and keeping them there. “It is, isn’t it!? How can you want to be a doctor if you’re afraid of needles?” he asks. Nathan grins up at him, his dimples showing and his eyes bright with amusement.

“I’m not afraid of sticking a needle into someone else! It’s having needles stuck into me that causes the problem!” he answers, wrestling his arms free of JR’s hold. He uses one to trace the three stars of JR’s tattoo. “Did this hurt?” he asks, looking from it to meet JR’s eyes. JR grimaces a little.

“A bit yeah. Not much padding up here,” he motions to his shoulder. “After a while it just sort of buzzed. A tat this big took hours, and I wanted it dark that meant it took longer. A small set of rings wouldn’t be that bad.” He shrugs his shoulders a little, looking down at Nathan spread out beneath him, his whole chest and abdomen on display. “I’ve been thinking about getting the rings done soon,” he says letting his fingers wander. Nathan contorts with a suppressed giggle when JR’s fingers trace across his ribcage. But JR doesn’t try and tickle him so he doesn’t push his hands away. “If you were to get the rings, where would you put it?” JR asks.

“I don’t know. Where do you think it would look good?” he asks, threading his fingers together and putting them up behind his head. JR scoots back further to sit on Nathan’s thighs.

“Hmm,” he says considering. His fingers go up to press a spot just above Nathan’s heart. “Here would be good. Is swimming where you heart is?” he asks. Nathan looks at him more seriously at that question.

“For now. But tattoos are forever… So probably not the best idea,” Nathan answers. JR nods.

“Reasonable answer. Hmm…” he looks across Nathan’s body. He touches the inside of Nathan’s upper arm, fingering his bicep. Nathan smirks, pulling his hand out from behind his head to flex the muscle at him. JR laughs in response. “That could work.” Nathan considers it a moment before shaking his head.

“What happens when I stop swimming, and my arms lose their muscle tone?” he asks. JR sighs.

“You’re ruining all my favorite places!” he whispers. He bends down bracing himself against the mattress and kissing Nathan. Nathan laughs, kissing him back, his arms wrapping around JR’s body tugging him down to lay down flat against him. JR suddenly breaks the kiss. “Oh I got another good place!” he pulls out of Nathan’s arms, moving down the bed, to finger Nathan’s right hip. “I bet here’s pretty popular…” he suggests. Nathan nods.

“Extremely popular, as is the shoulder blade, middle of the back, and the outside of the bicep,” Nathan explains. JR frowns.

“But that’s all the good places!” JR protests. Nathan laughs.

“I’m ok with being cliché. I always thought, here,” he presses his fingers to the front of his right hip. JR looks down, watching Nathan sketch the outline of all five rings with one fingertip. His breathing hitches a little.

“Oh, that would be sexy. Peeking out the top of your suit…” he whispers, voice a little bit husky. Nathan grins, laughing a bit.

“That is one of the benefits of putting it right there,” he bites his lip. “What about you? You said you were considering it.” JR looks up at him nodding.

“Yes. I have been. I know just where I’d get it and how big.” Nathan raises an eyebrow in question and JR rolls his eyes. He sits back pulling Nathan’s hand to his left thigh. He presses Nathan’s fingers to the smooth skin just above his scar. “Right there,” he says simply. “I know it’s not the typical place for any athlete to get it, in the middle of their thigh. But I feel like recovering from the accident and getting there, medaling twice, that’s a huge accomplishment. I don’t ever want to forget what I had to go through to get there. What I almost lost. So yeah, the rings, in black right here, with the date of my accident, Sept 12, 2009, above it and the dates of the games below it, February 12th to the 28th 2010.” Nathan hums rubbing his fingers back and forth over the unmarred skin. He nods.

“I think that’s the perfect spot,” he says in agreement. JR grins at him, climbing off of him to curl up beside him in the bed. Nathan tugs him close kissing his cheek. “When do you think you’ll go?”

“I was thinking next weekend. It’s been 8 months since the Games. I definitely want to get it done before the semester ends. Do you want to go with me?” he asks. Nathan grins.

“Sure, can you wait until Saturday afternoon? I have the afternoon off from training.” JR nods, rolling on to his back and pulling Nathan over on top of him, hips pressed to hips.

“Yeah, I can wait until Saturday afternoon. Will you hold my hand?” he asks. Nathan laughs.

“Of course, not that you’ll probably need me too!” he says grinning, and pressing a kiss to the center of JR’s chest.

“Still be nice to have you there…” JR says blushing a little. Nathan leans down to press a kiss to JR’s mouth.

“Then I will definitely be there. And I will definitely hold your hand!” he promises. JR laughs winding his arms around Nathan’s shoulders and pulling him in for another kiss.

 

Three days later, on Saturday afternoon, JR swings by the pool to wait for Nathan to finish up practice. They deal with some good-natured ribbing from the rest of the Berkeley swim team, who all want to tease the two about their new relationship. JR and Nathan ignore the verbal pokes, smiling and shaking their heads. Nathan showers, gets dressed, and leaves with JR to head for the tattoo parlor.

JR has called ahead and booked an appointment so there isn’t much waiting. The guy he’s booked with is the owner of the shop and he greets JR with a big smile. He takes them back to a small room and introduces himself. JR shakes his hand before hopping up on the table.

“I’m JR,” he says. “This is, Nathan.” The guy shakes Nathan’s hand before sitting down on a rolling stool.

“I’m Len, it’s nice to meet you both. What are you thinking about getting done today?” he asks. JR grins.

“Umm.. the Olympic Rings, on my left thigh, in all black with a few dates.” The guy nods.

“You an athlete?” he asks. JR smiles.

“Yeah. Short track speed skating. I went to Vancouver games last February, so I’m getting the rings to kind of commemorate that,” he says. The guy nods putting on a pair of vinyl gloves.

“Very cool. You did good there?” he asks. JR grins.

“Two bronze medals,” he says proudly. The guy grins.

“That is awesome! Congratulations man. You had work done before?” he asks. JR nods, and tugs up the front of his t-shirt. The guy leans closer examining the lines tattooed on JR’s chest. “Nice tat. You said your thigh?” he prompts leaning back. JR nods. He pulls up the leg of his baggy gym shorts. The guy leans back whistling at the sight of his scar. “Well that has a story,” he says, he presses on the area above the scar. “Here?” he asks. JR hisses a little but nods. The guy hums. “It’ll hurt. But I can make it look amazing there. How big?” he asks. JR holds his fingers about three inches apart. The guy nods in agreement. “Dates?” he asks. JR nods.

“The date that scar happened, September 12, 2009 above the rings, and the dates of the games February 12-28th 2010 under it. With room underneath that, for the dates of Sochi 2014 if I end up going there.” The guy smiles.

“Sounds cool,” he strips off his gloves and stands up. “Got ID?” he asks. JR nods, pulling out his wallet and license. Len checks it handing it back. “Been drinking?” he asks. JR shakes his head no. “OK then.” He goes to a cabinet on the wall and pulls out a few sheets of paper. “Fill these out and give me ten minutes and I can sketch some options.” He leaves JR to fill-out the paperwork, Nathan staring over his shoulder as he does so, curious about what questions they ask. Less than ten minutes later, Len is back. He has two ideas. The first one is simpler than the other, with the dates in straight lines and block print. The other has more character and JR points to that one as his favorite. Len laughs.

“Thought you’d go that way. This injury, it was a turning point, right?” he asks. JR nods, feeling serious. Len nods. “The lines for that date are heavy, dark, stark. This was an important moment. But it was just the beginning.” He points the rings. They’re outlined in thick dark black, but the rings themselves are colorless. “You said you wanted black. But what about variations of gray for the rings. Black for black, and darker grey for the blue, lightening to lighter grays for green, red, and yellow?” he asks. JR nods.

“I like that idea. I just didn’t want the actual colors. They always fade so fast!” Len nods.

“These won’t fade at nearly the same rate. Now these dates,” he points at the Vancouver ones. “Are less bold, but bigger, grander.” JR grins. The words are true. Somehow, without making them markedly bigger than the date of the accident, Len has made them look more ‘official’ somehow with just the flick of his pen.

“I really like it. Nathan?” he prompts. Nathan stands up and steps forward. He looks at the design and nods.

“It’s so… you,” he says a touch confused. Len laughs.

“I’m good at reading people. Double check the dates. I don’t want to screw em up.” JR looks carefully at the dates and nods.

“They’re right,” he says, handing back the sketch. Len grins.

“Alright. Now we’re moving along. Get out of those shorts while I go make a transfer of this and we’ll be ready to go.” He leaves the room, and JR does as ordered. When Len returns he finds JR settled on the table with Nathan sitting beside him. Len carefully shaves the area, prepping it with an alcohol pad before placing the transfer on top. “I’m thinking here,” he says. He’s put the sketch several inches above JR’s scar. JR frowns.

“I was thinking lower, closer to the scar,” he replies. Len shakes his head.

“This is scar tissue,” he says prodding the area just above the scar. “It’ll hurt like hell. Not like the one on your chest did, but much worse. I’m trying to leave room for another date under it. If we go much lower that won’t be possible.” JR’s frown deepens.

“Yeah, but if I end up adding another date, that’ll be 4 years from now. That’s plenty of time for this to heal more and become less tender.” Len shrugs his shoulders nodding.

“True. But I still don’t feel it should be any lower than this,” he moves the transfer an inch or so lower, leaving a good two inches above the scar blank. JR nods.

“I can live with that,” he says. Len grins. He presses the transfer down, wetting it with a solution and letting it sit for a bit before peeling it back.

“How’s that?” he asks. JR smiles down at the Olympic rings on his leg. They’re perfect, layered like they’re supposed to be, with thick outlines, but room for shading. The first date is stark and cold, but the second, the 2 weeks he spent competing in Vancouver make his heart glow a little. He nods.

“Perfect!” he says. Nathan nods. Len turns to his table, filling little cups of black and grey ink, and prepping his tattoo gun.

“I really like it. And he didn’t screw up the rings like the guy who did Mike’s did!” he says grinning. JR looks at him in confusion.

“They messed up Michael’s tattoo?” he asks. Nathan nods.

“Yep two of the rings aren’t technically connected to the others,” he says with a laugh. JR shakes his head.

“Of all the Olympic tat’s to get screwed up!” he says with a grin. Len shakes his head.

“That’s why you have to go to a professional,” he says. “OK, extend this leg out here, and roll a little onto your left hip. There you go. Comfy?” he asks. JR nods. “This is going to hurt…” Len warns. JR takes a deep breath and nods. Len looks at Nathan. “You might want to hold his hand,” he suggests. JR reaches out for it, and Nathan complies.

It hurts. It really fucking hurts. Len starts higher, tattooing in the five rings first. He does the outlines first, carefully following the lines of the circles, and being meticulous about where they overlap with one another. That’s the easy part. When he has the rings outlined, he moves up to put in the first date. 09-12-09. That part is simple and quick. He follows the lines perfectly to get the right jarring effect then moves on to the second date. That’s when it really starts to hurt. This script is more intricate, the date longer, and positioned closer to the scar tissue. JR grits his teeth, hand squeezing Nathan’s. He stares straight at the ceiling. February 12-28, 2010. Spelled out fully. Len watches him carefully, prompting him to explain about the scar and the importance of the dates to keep him distracted. When he sees JR’s forehead breaking out with a sweat about halfway through, his teeth clenching with the pain, he stops.

“We’re going to take a break from that area. We’ll finish it later. You doing ok?” he asks. JR nods.

“I’m fine. Can we just finish it? I’m like zoning out a little. I’d rather get it over with.” Len frowns but nods.

“Ok. I’ll try and be quick,” he says. JR nods, but still flinches when he starts up again. Len finishes the second date and then stops. He’d been working for almost an hour. “Let me have five minutes break and then I’ll do the shading,” he says. JR takes a deep breath and nods. Len strips the gloves off his hands, and stands up stretching his back. He smiles at them both, leaving the room. JR goes limp against the table.

“Ow,” JR says quietly. Nathan winces in sympathy.

“That bad?” he asks. JR sighs and turns his head to look at him. He releases Nathan’s hand, letting him flex it and get the blood flowing again.

“It’s the scar tissue. It’s still sensitive in that whole area.” He groans. “It doesn’t usually hurt that bad,” he explains. He sits up though and looks down at it. It’s turning red and swelling slightly. He winces again. “It’s gonna fucking hurt like hell tomorrow,” he says. Nathan leans closer to look at it.

“It looks great though. And it’s not one you’re ever going to regret later,” Nathan says. JR laughs.

“How could I ever regret being an Olympian?” he asks.

“Exactly!” Nathan says with a grin. Len opens the door then, coming back inside, drinking a bottle of water.

He rewashes his hands, putting fresh gloves on and sitting back down on his rolling stool.

“Ready to finish up?” he asks. JR nods.

“Yeah. Thanks,” he replies. Nathan smiles at him, retaking JR’s hand and getting a crooked grin in reply. The shading takes longer than JR had thought it would, but it’s not as painful as the harder darker lines were. When Len’s done, JR sits up and looks at the tattoo. It looks great. The shading, the dates, the fonts, and the placement. It’s just what he’d wanted only even better. Len stands him up and walks him to the mirror on the wall to see it from a different angle. He smiles and nods.

“Thanks man, this turned out amazing!” he says. Len laughs.

“I’m always glad when my work is properly appreciated. Hop back up, and I’ll get you wrapped up.” He smears ointment on the tattoo, handing JR the rest of the small tube. “Use that for 4 days. Twice a day,” he orders. JR nods, and watches Len cover the tattoo with a bandage. “Ok, you’re good to go!” Len says backing away and stripping off his gloves again. JR eases down off the table, slipping on his baggy shorts and pulling them slowly up around his waist. Len wipes down the table with a spray bottle and some paper towels. When he’s done, JR reaches out to shake Len’s hand.

“Really, Len. I love it. I’ll definitely be coming back to you for my next one,” he says. Len nods.

“Thanks.” That’s when Len turns to Nathan and crosses his arms. He raises one eyebrow. “Well?” he says with a bit of a challenge. Nathan grins, takes a deep steadying breath and hops up onto the table.

“My turn!” he says smiling brilliantly. JR looks at him in complete shock.

“What?” he says a bit dumbly.

“I’m Len’s next appointment.” He turns to Len. “Olympic rings, please. Right here,” he points at the front of his right hip. Len laughs.

“I was wondering if you were the Nathan I had on my schedule!” he says shaking his head. He starts to clear away the debris and trash left over from JR’s tattoo. “Give me a few minutes to re-set-up my station?” he asks. Nathan nods pulling JR out into the hallway. JR tugs him further down for a little privacy.

“What are you doing?” he asks. Nathan grins at him.

“Getting my rings tattoo. I’ve wanted one for ages, but I was always too… scared to get one. It’s tradition. A very elite club you and I are both a part of. I think I can do this. I just needed a little push to go through with it,” he explains. JR frowns.

“I don’t want to push you to do anything!” he hisses. Nathan rolls his eyes.

“Don’t think of it as pushing me. Think of it as inspiring me. I do want this, JR. I’m not going to regret it. Though my Mom probably will kill me when she finds out!” he says with a laugh. JR sighs, leaning back against the wall.

“You’re sure?” he asks. Nathan nods.

“I’m sure. Will you hold my hand?” he says a little shyly. JR smiles at him and rolls his eyes a little.

“Of course. Thanks for holding mine,” he says quietly. Nathan snags his hand, tugging him closer.

“No problem,” he replies. Len calls them back in a few minutes later. By then the table’s been wiped down, the gun reset and station set up once more. He hands Nathan the same stack of papers he had given JR.

“ID?” he asks. Nathan grins, handing it over and sitting down to fill out the paper work. JR rolls his eyes. Len tosses the ID back to Nathan. “You drunk?” he asks. Nathan shakes his head.

“Nope,” he says signing the last page and handing them back. Len takes it from him.

“Ok. Now where did you want the Olympic rings?” he asks. Nathan leans back tugging down his jeans to bare his hip.

“Right here,” he says. Len leans over.

“Black and grey?” he asks. Nathan nods.

“Can you make them shaded like JR’s are? But smaller?” he asks. Len nods.

“Definitely. But the lines will have to be thinner?” Nathan grins wider.

“Ok,” he agrees. Len laughs a little.

“Let me go sketch this out and make a transfer. You’ll need to take those jeans off,” he stands up from his stool, and leaves the room. JR sits forward in his chair, watching with interest as Nathan hops down off the table to pull his jeans off. He sits back wearing just his boxer briefs. JR watches him tug them down extremely low on his hip. His eyes trace the line where Nathan’s Speedos have left his skin pale in comparison to his California tan. Nathan clears his throat and JR drags his eyes up to meet Nathan’s where amusement shines back at him.

“How low are you going to place it?” he asks. Nathan shrugs.

“Below the tan line?” he says slightly unsure.

“Not peeking out? But that’s half the fun of putting one there!” JR protests. Nathan laughs at him.

“Maybe peeking out a little bit…” he concedes with a grin.

When Len returns he has Nathan tug his underwear down further, preps the area and shows him the transfer. Nathan nods, and together they choose the perfect place. Using Nathan’s tan line for a guide, they place the transfer directly over it. About half of the top three Olympic Rings will be visible when he’s in his swimsuit.

The entire time they’re discussing location and shading, filling out paperwork, and generally preparing, Nathan manages to convince himself there’s nothing to be afraid of. That, yes, JR’s tattoo had hurt, a lot, but his wouldn’t be nearly that bad. His wasn’t going to be over top of scar tissue. There was nothing to really worry about. So he’s smiling when Len fires up the tattoo gun, and starts outlining the first ring. The smiling doesn’t last very long.

JR’s first indication that something is wrong is Nathan’s breath coming out in a hiss of pain, followed by a facial wince, and a quick intake of breath. But those are all sudden and fleeting. Nathan throws his head back and stares up at the ceiling, his face going blank, his jaw clenched. JR thinks briefly that maybe it’s going to be ok, but then Nathan’s hand in his starts closing in a vice like grip that causes JR’s knuckles to pop and after a few seconds his finger tips to go numb.

“Umm, Nathan?” he says quietly. Nathan hisses and winces again. “Nathan?” he says with genuine concern. Nathan turns his head to look at JR, and flinches, looking back up at the ceiling. JR fights back a smile. It’s not funny that Nathan is in pain. But it a little funny he’s refusing to show it. JR reaches over with his other hand to stroke the back of Nathan’s, drawing his fingers tips up the back of Nathan’s long fingers, over his broad hand, and around his wrist. He keeps the touch light, trying to distract him. The death grip on JR’s hand loosens a little, and Nathan turns his head to look at him. His face isn’t hard to read. His eyes are slightly wet, his cheeks flushed, and a sweat is breaking out on his forehead and neck. JR frowns at him, squeezing his hand and adjusting his grip. He starts to massage it. Rubbing and kneading Nathan’s hand with both of his own. JR flexes the fingers, rubbing across the sweaty palm and the webs of his fingers, massaging the back with his thumbs. His hands move up to Nathan’s wrist and forearm. Nathan goes limp, mind focusing on JR’s hands on him instead of the burning pain low on his hip.

“You ok?” JR asks quietly. Nathan nods slowly. Len watching them carefully, moves on to the last ring’s outline. Nathan groans again, his forehead crinkling. His hand tightens in JR’s again, and JR sighs. He stands up out of his seat to check on Len’s progress. He’s finishing up the last ring, but he has yet to start on the shading, which JR knows hurts in a completely different way. He winces and looks at Nathan again who has closed his eyes tightly, his free hand, gripping the side of the padded seat with white knuckled grip. He meets JR’s eyes, giving him a significant look. JR’s face turns confused. Len rolls his eyes, stopping his work and wiping at the mess with a paper towel. He looks at JR, nods at Nathan, and then makes a kissy face. JR freezes, his eyes going wide with shock. Len rolls his eyes again.

“Just do it, Junior,” he says, switching out the needle and inks, and cleaning the area. Nathan picks his head up, clearly confused. JR smiles reassuringly at him.

“You ok?” he asks. Nathan sighs.

“Is it almost done?” Nathan asks. JR nods.

“Just the shading left. You’re doing great.” Nathan rolls his eyes.

“I’m not doing great. But thank you for the fib. My pride appreciates it,” Nathan says making JR grin.

“I’m trying to distract you. Is it working?” he asks. Nathan grins a little, but flinches when Len fires up the tattoo gun again. He lets his head flop back, and readjusts his hand in JR’s.

“Yes,” he grunts out when the shading needles start to pierce his skin. His face clenches in pain, and he takes deep calming breaths. Len clears his throat, catching JR’s attention

“Stop being stupid,” Len says lowly. JR rolls his eyes, and taking a deep breath leans forward to press his mouth to Nathan’s. Nathan’s breathing hitches in response, and he opens his mouth. JR takes immediate advantage, slipping his tongue inside to meet Nathan’s. Nathan groans again, but this time it’s not with pain. His hand tightens in JR’s before loosening to thread his fingers through JR’s. JR grins, kissing him deeper, angling his mouth and closing his own eyes. The kiss breaks and Nathan sighs a little, reaching over with his right hand to drag JR’s mouth back to his own. JR laughs against his open mouth, his right hand coming up to cradle the back of Nathan’s head. The kiss quickly turns heated. Their relationship is still new, just a week old, and they’re still very excitable. Nathan’s so distracted he doesn’t seem to mind the tattoo gun buzzing across his skin. Even JR begins to ignore it, too caught up in the taste of Nathan’s mouth, and the feel of Nathan’s hair between his fingers, thick and soft, and Nathan’s thumb rubbing back and forth against his inner wrist. Neither notices Len finishing up the shading, or cleaning the area. They don’t even notice him spreading ointment over the reddened skin. He clears his throat when he’s done with that though. They break apart quickly. JR disentangles himself, grinning, wiping at his mouth, and patting back down his hair. Nathan puts his head back and sighs, licking his lips, and flushing red.

“Would you like to see it, Nathan, before I cover it up?” Len asks. Nathan nods, blushing beet red in further embarrassment. He’s hard and wearing just his underwear. Len would have to be blind not to have noticed. Nathan swings his legs together and off the other side of the table. He hunches over, mortified. Len laughs. “No worries! You’d be surprised how often it happens!” Len says standing up off his stool. He points to the mirror. And Nathan hops down walking over to look. JR jumps up to follow. He peers around Nathan’s taller body, to see the reflection in the mirror. It’s beautifully done. The lines are crisp and clean, each ring a distinct shade of grey to correspond with the colors of the official symbol. It’s a nice size, good for showing off Len’s detailed shading, but not huge. It looks hot. JR sort of wants to bite it maybe a little bit. He grins and looks at Nathan. The older man has a sort of awed look on his face. He tugs his underwear a half an inch lower, twisting a little to change the angle of his body in the mirror’s reflection. A grin slowly spreads over his face. He reaches down to touch it, but stops pulling his hand away. He turns around quickly to grin at Len.

“It’s awesome!” he says enthusiastically. Len laughs.

“Thank you. Now let me put a bandage over it and you guys can get going,” he says. He watches Nathan hop back up on the table and carefully covers the tattoo with a bandage. He gives him the same after care instructions he gave JR, handing him a tube of ointment. Len leaves Nathan to get dressed again. JR watches him pull his underwear band back up over the bandage, slipping on his jeans carefully. He groans in pain at the feel of denim pulling over the sensitive spot as he struggles to close the button of his pants. JR shakes his head.

“Here, zip em up, but don’t button them. We’re headed straight back to your house. Leave your t-shirt hanging and you’ll be fine,” he says, reaching over to zip up Nathan’s jeans for him. He looks up when he’s done and finds Nathan smiling down at him, body close, and face flushed. He grins a little. “The sooner we get back to your place…” JR teases. Nathan laughs, wiggling his feet into his sandals, and gripping JR’s hand, pulls him toward the door.

They both shake Len’s hand, thanking him one more time. Before paying at the front desk and waving goodbye. They walk slowly back to Nathan’s car, holding hands and not caring who sees. They break contact when they get to the car, splitting up to climb inside. With the doors shut and the sun going down, they sit in silence in the car for several minutes, both of them still embarrassed and a little high off endorphins. JR is the first one to start laughing, followed closely by Nathan, who sits back in the driver’s seat of his car. JR turns to grin at him, covering his face with his palms and laughing.

“I swear I was just trying to distract you. Not turn you on!” he says. Nathan flops his head to the right to smile at him, still laughing.

“Well it worked, but now I’ve got the hard-on to defy all hard-on’s…” Nathan says with a laugh, reaching forward to start the car. JR’s grin widens as he watches the motion. When Nathan reaches for the gear shift, JR makes his move. He reaches over Nathan’s lap, pulling the seat lever to lean the driver seat back, and climbing on top of him, all in one smooth motion. Nathan blinks up at him in shock, his seat laying all the way back. JR smiles down at him shifting slowly in his lap. He hisses a little at the pull and stretch of his left thigh. He readjusts, shifting his weight carefully. His ass pressing backward into the bottom curve of the steering wheel behind him.

“I can fix that for you,” he offers, tugging on the bottom hem of Nathan’s t-shirt. Nathan draws in a sharp confused breath.

“Car sex?” he asks letting out a little whine. JR laughs, letting his hand slide down to unzip Nathan’s already unbuttoned jeans.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t Christened this car yet..” JR whispers. He gets Nathan’s dick out, through the flap in his boxer briefs, already hard and getting slick. Nathan lets out a little choking sound.

“No, I can honestly say I haven’t,” he says back, his breathing speeding up with renewed arousal. JR braces his free hand on the seat behind Nathan’s shoulder, balancing carefully so as to not put any pressure on Nathan’s sore hip.

“So, this should be a first then,” he teases, pressing close to kiss Nathan again. They pick up where they’d left off in the tattoo parlor; tongues tangling and hands roaming. Nathan slides one hand up the back of JR’s shirt, the other sliding down the back of his baggy gym shorts and underwear. JR groans, tightening his hand around Nathan’s dick, letting the other one card through Nathan’s hair. He tilts his head to the right, tongue pressing deeper, lips sucking at Nathan’s. Nathan groans, lifting his hips up into JR’s. JR smiles into the kiss, starting to move his hand on Nathan’s erection. He picks up a rhythm that has Nathan’s fingers clutching at his skin, his breath stuttering in his chest. JR pulls and kisses and fights not to rock his hips into Nathan’s to avoid causing them both inadvertent pain. Nathan’s breathing speeds up, and he groans into the kiss, pulling back to catch his breath. He puts his head back, gasping with every pull of JR’s hand on him.

“JR, Oh God,” he pants. JR grins, pressing his forehead to Nathan’s and watching him break apart underneath him. Nathan clutches him closer, burrowing his face in JR’s neck and gasping again and again, his hips lifting and flexing with each pull. “JR!” he shouts, coming in JR’s hand. JR laughs a little with delight, stroking him through his orgasm, face flushing with heat. Nathan groans pressing his head back against the head rest and blinking up at JR with dazed eyes. JR leans forward pressing a quick kiss to Nathan’s mouth.

“Car sex,” he says a little out of breath. “Good?” he asks. Nathan grins nodding. His hands tightening briefly on JR’s body. He loosens the hand on JR’s ass, sliding it around to delve down the front of his gym shorts. JR laughs pushing back in Nathan’s lap to give Nathan more room to maneuver.

“Your turn,” Nathan says, freeing JR from his underwear and leaning forward to bite across JR’s jaw. JR gasps, retaking Nathan’s mouth with his own. JR doesn’t last long. He’s still high off the pain of his tattoo, horny from watching Nathan come apart in front of him so beautifully. Nathan’s hand starts a fast perfect pace that has JR groaning and sweating in only a few minutes. He comes with one hand clenched in Nathan’s t-shirt, the other braced behind himself and gripping the black leather steering wheel.

“Nathan!” he cries, coming across his own stomach and Nathan’s hand. Nathan sits up under him, his mouth claiming JR’s, and his body supporting him as his muscles go tight with orgasm, before going limp with relief. They slide back down in the driver’s seat, JR stretched out across Nathan’s body zoned out in pleasure. Nathan pats his back. He reaches down to carefully pull JR’s shorts back up, tucking him away carefully. JR looks at him a bit dazedly. “That was great,” he says with a smile. Nathan kisses him.

“Yes it was. You were right, car sex is not something I should be missing out on!” he says with a laugh. JR grins at him and nods.

“See, I can teach you things too!” he says laughing. Nathan rolls his eyes.

“I never said you couldn’t. Now get back in the passenger seat, we have a couch with our names written all over it, waiting for us,” Nathan pats JR’s ass, nudging him in his right hip back toward the other side of the car. JR sighs, flopping his body haphazardly back into the passenger seat and pulling his legs over after himself. In the process his left foot catches on the wire to Nathan’s iPhone charger, snapping the plastic cord with a single sharp horizontal tug. JR winces.

“Oops?” he says quietly. Nathan looks shocked for a second. “Sorry!” JR says, reaching for the cord. Nathan laughs, shaking his head, and turning the radio up.

“It’s nothing that can’t be replaced. You just gave me first time car sex I’m not about to complain when the only casualty was a car charger,” he says with a grin. JR shakes his head, buckling his seat belt, and arranging himself properly in the seat. Nathan readjusts his seat and checking his mirrors pulls the car out of the spot and out on to the main street.

“So you want me to sleep over tonight?” JR asks. Nathan laughs.

“Of course I do!” he replies, reaching over to take JR’s hand in his. JR smiles back, looking out the window. It had definitely been an eventful day.

 

Time seemed to speed up and slow down at the same time. JR, hating his time in the dorms, spends more and more time at Nathan and Jacko’s house, sleeping in Nathan’s room and contributing to the grocery fund. Carl is happy enough to have JR practically living somewhere else. He starts cleaning up after himself more, and on the rare occasion that he and JR were both in their shared dorm room at the same time spends the duration of the time JR is there with his face in a comic book, ignoring JR’s existence. The dorm room itself becomes more of a storage facility than an actual residence. JR stops stocking the fridge, and mostly keeps his spare crap there. Though a good deal of his more important possessions end up taking over a corner of Nathan’s bedroom and part of the dining room, mostly because JR doesn’t trust Carl, like at all. JR does well in school, and so does Nathan. Before either of them even realize it, they’ve been dating over a month, and JR’s practically living at the house, but this is never really discussed between the two of them. Halloween comes and goes. And soon Thanksgiving is approaching, with JR heading home to see his family for a long weekend, while Nathan stays in Berkeley to train. On the Tuesday following the holiday he is scheduled to fly out to Columbus, OH for Short Course National Championships.

JR’s plane is set to leave early on Wednesday morning. Jacko of all people was set to take him to the airport. Nathan and the other freestylers on the team had one last early morning practice that day before getting Wednesday night and Thursday off, and so Nathan couldn’t take him. But he did come over to JR’s dorm room to help him pack.

Nathan is stretched out across JR’s bed on Tuesday evening, head pillowed on JR’s back pack, and feet tucked under the balled up comforter at the foot of the bed. JR rolls his eyes, kneeling in the middle of the dorm room floor and going through his bag, a carry on; which, along with a backpack, was all he was taking back to Washington with him.

“Are you going to miss me?” Nathan asks from his place on the bed. JR laughs without looking up from where he’s cramming his socks into a small corner of his bag.

“Yes. Are you going to miss me?” he asks, waiting for an answer. When none comes he stops what he’s doing to look over at Nathan. Nathan’s smiling at him, a kind of dopey look on his face. JR grins, climbing to his feet and up onto the bed. He straddles Nathan’s hips, leaning down to press a kiss to Nathan’s mouth. Nathan’s hands slide into his hair and up his t-shirt simultaneously. Their tongues tangle and their breathing picks up. JR groans pulling away. He sits up, staring down at Nathan’s flushed face, and gasping for air. “Well? Are you going to miss me?” he asks again.

“You kiss me like that and then you ask such a silly question?” Nathan replies. JR laughs, smacking him in the shoulder and climbing off of him. He walks to the locked trunk at the end of the bed, (purchased because Carl is a fucking psycho), and pulling free his winter clothes. He tucks three sweat shirts and his good sweater into the bag, followed by a couple of pairs of heavier jeans, and his boots. This is Seattle in November he reminds himself.

“You asked the question first, remember?” he says to Nathan, cramming the clothes into the bag. He adds underwear and a couple of t-shirts. Nathan laughs.

“Yes, I did, and yes, I will miss you,” he replies. JR smiles, but doesn’t look over at him. He adds underwear to the bag and then fights to get the zipper closed. “You’re not taking your skates?” Nathan asks. JR pauses.

“No, why would I?” he asks. Nathan grins sitting up in the middle of the bed and turning to lean back against the wall. He pulls JR’s pillow into his lap, folding his feet up underneath him.

“I thought you might want to go inline skating while you were home,” Nathan suggests. JR freezes, slumping down. He tugs open the recently closed bag, and yanks out two of the sweat shirts. He surveys the rest of the clothes. Sighing he pulls out the second pair of jeans. He’ll have to do laundry while he’s there, but he can probably persuade his mom to do it for him and he can always steal from Chris. Shrugging he tosses the clothes back into the trunk and re-zips the bag. His inline skates had migrated to Nathan’s house, weeks ago. But he’s staying over there tonight, so he can pack them up later. Looking around the room, he grabs up a few things, shoving them into his trunk and relocking it. Carl was staying over the holiday, and JR really really didn’t trust the guy not to do something weird. The key to the trunk sits on his key ring alongside his dorm key, mail box key, Nathan’s house key, and his assorted keys for back home. The whole set gets shoved back into his jeans pocket. He turns to look at Nathan.

“Thanks for the suggestion,” he says sincerely. Nathan smiles at him.

“No problem!” he says scooting over. JR climbs up onto the bed, sitting pressed to Nathan’s side, and slumping into him a little.

“So your taper starts when?” he asks. Nathan slides an arm around his shoulders.

“Tomorrow,” Nathan says. “Minimal physical activity. Jacko is already stocking up the house with groceries, but knowing him we’ll just end up with five different kinds of sugary cereal and three gallons of milk.” JR laughs.

“We can go shopping tonight if you want,” he says. His head is resting on Nathan’s shoulder, and when he reaches over to tug up the taller man’s t-shirt, he gets a perfect view of his ripped abs and the barest hint of the tattoo on his hip. Nathan makes an agreeable sound and tugs him a little bit closer. “Did you tell your parents about this yet?” he asks, running his thumb over the top of the three partially visible rings. Nathan sighs.

“No. I probably should though. It’ll be visible at Nationals. I don’t want to get an angry phone call about it. Might as well do it when I make my Thanksgiving phone-call back home.” Nathan takes the opportunity, to slide his own hand up the back of JR’s t-shirt, fingering the back of his cargo pants’ waistband. JR is silent a moment, his face turning contemplative. He swallows thickly.

“And are you going to tell them about me?” he asks quietly. Nathan freezes against him. He pulls back a little tugging JR’s head up to look him in the eye.

“My parents don’t know about me, and I don’t think they should find out over the phone. Telling them about you is going to have to wait,” he says quietly. JR nods, forcing a smile.

“That makes sense. Something that important… you wouldn’t want to do that over the phone,” JR says. Nathan looks away.

“What about your parents? Do they know?” Nathan asks quietly. JR takes a deep breath, sitting up some. He tugs Nathan’s hand around his side and onto his tummy, nodding against Nathan’s shoulder.

“They know I’m gay. They know I have a boyfriend. They haven’t asked too many questions yet, but I’ll probably get grilled when I get home. Chris will want to know everything, because he’s nosey like that,” he smiles when he says it. “Is that ok with you?” he asks smiling at Nathan. Nathan grins back.

“Of course, they’re your parents, your brothers. I won’t make you lie.” JR smiles, hesitant and puts his head back down on Nathan’s shoulder.

“Hey, you know what we’ve never done together?” he asks. Nathan looks confused.

“No, what?” JR grins, turning to straddle Nathan’s lap again.

“Made-out in my itty bitty dorm room bed. You up for it?” he asks. Nathan laughs, turning and pushing JR down to lay flat on the bed. His stretches out over the smaller man, hands brace on either side of JR’s body on the single mattress.

“I’m a swimmer. You know I’m always up for it,” Nathan teases. JR laughs, pulling Nathan’s down to meet his own. He reaches down to tug up Nathan’s shirt, breaking the kiss to pull it off and toss it to the other end of his bed. Nathan laughs, breaking the kiss to pull JR’s off too. “What about Carl?” he asks, kissing across JR’s chin and down over his neck. He fixes his lips to a spot low on JR’s neck, sucking and biting at that one spot until JR is groaning with want, hips flexing up into Nathan’s body with each suck. He pulls away, wiping at his mouth and fingering the purple-red mark he’d left on JR’s throat. “Carl?” Nathan prompts. JR’s eyes snap open.

“Carl?” he questions a bit breathless and sort of confused. Nathan grins.

“Yes, your roommate, Carl. Is he coming back anytime soon?” Nathan asks. JR rolls his eyes.

“Who cares!?” JR asks. He tugs Nathan’s body back down to his own. “Fuck, Carl!” He takes Nathan’s mouth with his own before Nathan can formulate a response. Then JR freezes with sudden realization. He breaks the kiss. “Did you just give me a hickey!?” he asks, sitting up and pushing Nathan back. His hand goes to his still wet neck. He winces, probing the spot. “Nathan! My Mom is picking me up at the airport, TOMORROW MORNING!” he yells, shoving Nathan away and rushing to the mirror permanently fixed to the dorm room wall. He examines the darkening bruise. “Fuck!” he curses. Nathan sprawls across the bed, laughing hysterically.

“You’re a grown up. I’m allowed to give you a hickey!” he says with a grin. JR turns to glare at him.

“Oh does that mean I get to give you one? That’d be great, eh? You showing up for a televised swimming competition with great big ass hickey on your neck!” he says. Nathan’s eyes get real big and he barely has time to do more than turn over before JR launches himself at him from halfway across the dorm room.

“JR! No!” Nathan cries, trying to fight JR off. But JR’s stronger than he was at the beginning of the semester. He wrestles Nathan to the bed, pinning him down, and setting his teeth to rest against Nathan’s neck. Nathan freezes, his breath coming in quick hard pants from exertion. “JR?” he pleads. JR laughs, releasing Nathan’s skin without marking it.

“This was your one free pass. Got it swim-boy?” he says directly in Nathan’s ear. Nathan nods, grinning into the sheets. “No visible hickeys! Do you know how much shit I’m going to take this weekend now?” JR backs up sitting up right across Nathan’s ass. Nathan rolls over underneath him, JR lifting up to give him enough room. When JR sits back down his ass is pressed firmly to Nathan’s hard-on. “You promise?” JR asks.

“I promise,” Nathan says quietly, grinning a little wickedly. JR laughs, shaking his head. He leans down, nipping at Nathan’s chin.

“Come on. Let’s go back to your house. Carl could be back at any moment,” JR suggests. Nathan frowns.

“We need food,” Nathan says. JR sighs, shoulders slumping.

“Ok, groceries and then sex?” he asks. Nathan nods. “As long as we have our priorities in order.” JR climbs to his feet with obvious reluctance. He grabs up his t-shirt, and pulls it on, tossing Nathan his. The door to the room opens just as Nathan is smoothing the cotton material down over his stomach. JR rolls his eyes as Carl steps inside, and freezes at the sight of JR and Nathan in the room. He scowls.

“What are you doing here, Celski?” he asks, setting his bag down on the end of his bed. He folds his arms across his chest glaring a little. JR turns back to Nathan, rolling his eyes, and slides his feet back into his sneakers.

“It’s still my dorm room, Carl. You can’t demand I leave.” He bends down to check the lock on his trunk. “You’re staying for Thanksgiving?” he asks. Carl rolls his eyes, flopping down in his desk chair and reaching for his stereo.

“I don’t celebrate the repression and mass murder of thousands of innocent true American’s by an oppressive foreign regime!” Carl spits, cranking the stereo up and turning his back to them. JR throws his hands in the air, shaking his head, and making Nathan stifle a laugh. JR pulls Nathan up off the bed. Snatching his bag up off the floor, he leads Nathan to the door, both of them wincing at the loud music pumping out of the stereo.

“Have a good vacation, Carl!” JR yells as he opens the door. Carl doesn’t bother turning to look at them. Instead he raises one hand in their direction and extends his middle finger.

Once out in the hallway, with the door closed behind them, they both breakdown laughing. Nathan leans against the hallway wall, shaking with amusement.

“What a charmer!” he says laughing. JR shrugs his shoulders.

“I don’t think there was any way I wasn’t going to piss that guy off. He’s a fucking psycho!” JR shakes his head, starting off down the hallway, Nathan jogging to catch up.

“Well at least you have somewhere else to sleep the majority of the time,” Nathan offers. JR nods.

“And the new place comes with free orgasms. Who’s going to turn that down?” he asks. Nathan laughs all the way to the car.

 

JR leaves the following morning. Nathan wakes him up with a blow job and breakfast in bed. Breakfast consists of a bagel smeared with cream cheese and some orange juice. They shower together, before JR leaves for the airport with Jacko in the other man’s car, and Nathan heads back to campus for early morning practice. JR spends the holiday weekend in Federal Way with his family. Chris and his parents, his aunts and uncles. He gets teased mercilessly by Chris for the first three days he’s there about the hickey, but doesn’t let it really bother him. His parents are curious about how is semester is going. He gives them Carl stories, downplaying them so he sounds more like a nuisance than a psycho. He tells them a little about Nathan, but not much. They’re weary after the last year, worried about him. But he’s clearly happy, so no one really questions him.

JR gets back on Sunday, and hangs out at Nathan and Jacko’s house when he’s not in class, at the gym or on the ice. Both Jacko and Nathan are tapering. So JR rolls his eyes and buys the groceries. He even waits on them a little bit, but just a little. He doesn’t want to spoil them. Nathan and Jacko leave for Short Course Nationals on Tuesday along with a bunch of the other Berkeley swim team members. The competition doesn’t start until Thursday and JR is glued to his computer watching the live stream of the events every time he knows Nathan is up to swim.

When Nathan returns home the following Monday afternoon, JR is in class. But he takes the bus straight to Nathan and Jacko’s house as soon as Statistics lets out. When he gets there he finds Jacko sprawled on the couch eating a huge bowl of Cocoa Krispies, and frowning at the TV. Jacko looks up at him as soon as he skids to a halt in the doorway. He rolls his eyes, eating another big scoop of mushy brown cereal.

“He’s upstairs. Taking a nap,” he grumbles. JR flips around the corner, freezing in place when Jacko calls after him: “Hello, to you too!” JR peeks back around the corner.

“Hello, Jacko,” JR says pleasantly. Jacko turns to look at him. “How was your trip?” JR asks. Jacko frowns harder.

“I got third in the 200 back,” he says flipping channels. JR grins at him.

“But that’s good!” he says. “Congratulations!” Jacko scowls.

“It means I don’t get to go to Worlds,” he explains. JR’s face falls. He steps back into the room, going to sit down beside Jacko.

“I’m sorry. That really sucks,” he says softly, patting Jacko on the shoulder. Jacko shrugs, shoveling more cereal into his mouth.

“He won,” he says softly. JR grins.

“I know,” he says quietly, but with genuine excitement. Jacko smiles a little rolling his eyes again.

“Well? Go give him his victory sex! He’s waiting for you! Just try and keep it down would ya? Some of us are not in a celebratory mood,” he says turning back to the TV. JR pats his arm.

“You’ll get 'em next time, Jacko,” he says climbing to his feet. Jacko grins at him widely, mouth full of chocolaty cereal.

“Just go fuck him already. He could use a little stress relief. He’s got a big final on Wednesday.” Jacko says, slurping more cereal into his mouth. This time it is JR’s turn to roll his eyes.

“See you later, Jacko,” he says, walking from the living room and jogging for the stairs. Nathan’s bedroom door is open. JR can see him sprawled out across the bed as soon as he reaches the landing. He grins, stepping carefully the last few steps, and the half a hall to reach Nathan’s door. The room is dimly lit, only the desk lamp on. Sitting on the table under the light, two medals on dark blue ribbons. One silver. One gold. JR smiles, reaching out to run his fingers up the curve of the 1st place medal. He turns to the bed. Nathan is completely unconscious. Laying there wearing only his boxers, and spread out like a starfish on the mattress, he looks exhausted. Half of JR doesn’t want to interrupt his sleep. But the other half wants to jump his bones. The second half wins.

Nathan is happy to see him, if not particularly thrilled with 150 lbs of speed skater landing on his back without any advance notice. He rolls over to hug JR to himself, sitting up and settling JR across his lap.

“Hi,” he says with a big grin. JR grins at him.

“Hi,” he replies, leaning his forehead to Nathan’s and smiling. “1st in the 50, and 2nd in the 100,” he says quietly. Nathan laughs, tilting his head back. He nods.

“Yep,” he shrugs his shoulders. “You saw?” he asks. JR nods. He leans forward pressing his mouth to Nathan’s. He breaks the kiss to talk.

“You were hot, all sexy and determined when you walked out,” another long kiss. “And you swam so fast,” a third long kiss. “And then you were all out of breath and panting, and wet,” he kisses Nathan again, his hands tugging at the waistband of Nathan’s boxers, sliding his hands inside them. Nathan gasps against his mouth. JR pulls back again. “And you won!” he smiles. Nathan laughs, his hands delving under JR’s clothes too.

“Wow, if this is the welcome I get when I win at Nationals. What will I get when I win at Worlds?” Nathan asks, unzipping JR’s jeans, and shoving them down over the younger man’s ass. JR laughs, wrapping his hand around Nathan’s dick, which is half hard already.

“You’ll just have to win and find out,” JR teases, pulling his hands back to strip off his t-shirt and shove Nathan flat on to his back.

 

Tuesday is Nathan’s birthday. JR gives him a massage for his present. Nathan’s still all sore from pushing himself so hard at Nationals. But there’s no time to really go out and celebrate. It’s the second week in December, and short Course World’s are being held in the middle of the next week in Dubai. Nathan’s only going to be in Berkeley until the following Monday before flying to the other side of the world. In the remaining days Nathan has to finish up his projects and take his bio final. JR too has finals to prepare for so they spend most of the week hanging out doing homework and studying for tests. That and training are all they really have time for.

“Hey, Nathan?” JR says from his spot spread out across the floor. He’s playing with his cell-phone and temporarily ignoring his last English paper for the semester. Nathan looks up from where he’s stretched out on the couch, studying his bio textbook.

“What’s up?” he replies. JR grins up at him.

“Michael Phelps just got a twitter. Maybe I should follow him. Seeing as he’s your ex, and all?” he says teasingly. Nathan shuts his textbook, dropping it to the floor beside the couch and sitting up. His last final is the next day, Friday, but he’s tired of studying.

“Nah, he’s not my ex. You have to sleep with someone more than once for them to qualify as an ex. Mike was a one-off.” He gets up from the couch, heading for the kitchen. JR sits up, his jaw dropping wide open.

“Nathan!” he yells climbing up off the floor and chasing after him. Jacko is sitting at the kitchen table when JR stumbles inside, Nathan’s bending over to look in the fridge. “You fucked Michael Phelps!?” JR asks in shock. Nathan laughs standing back up again.

“Technically… he fucked me. And it was just the once!” Nathan says closing the fridge door. Jacko laughs from the table where he was doing something strange with bacon and cheese.

“Yeah, Michael only fucks. He doesn’t get fucked… period!” Jacko adds. JR shakes his head not quite believing what he’s hearing.

“Fine then. Michael Phelps fucked you?!” he asks. Nathan laughs.

“It’s not a big deal, JR. Mikey’s like the slut of the swim team. He’ll screw anything!” Nathan replies. Jacko nods.

“He pretty much has. It’s like a rite of passage now. You hit 18 and make the National team, you get a visit from Aquaman!” he shrugs his shoulders. JR slumps to sit in the chair across from Jacko.

“Aww, don’t pout, JR!” Nathan says plopping down sideways in JR’s lap. JR looks up at him, scowling, and hating how short such an action makes him feel. “You’re much better than he is!” Nathan says pinching JR’s cheek. JR smacks his hand away.

“What about the straight guys on the team? Don’t they turn him down?” JR asks, wrapping one hand around Nathan’s waist and sliding the other hand up the back of Nathan’s t-shirt. Nathan squirms at the contact but doesn’t pull away. Jacko laughs picking up a cheese and bacon sandwich and popping the small bite, which was breadless, into his mouth. He chews a few times and swallows.

“It’s Michael Phelps! That’s like a living Swim God coming to you and asking for sex. I haven’t heard of a single guy, gay, straight, or other, who turned him down when he asked. Or a girl for that matter. I know that I certainly didn’t!” Jacko said bouncing his eyebrows at JR and picking up another sandwich. “That guy gets more play than like anyone else alive! And that’s coming from me!” Jacko explains, looking impressed. JR laughs shaking his head and pressing his forehead to Nathan’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe this!” he says quietly, tightening his hold on Nathan’s waist. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” he asks picking his head up. Nathan shrugs his shoulders, reaching forward with one long arm to snatch up one of Jacko’s creations. His hand almost gets stabbed with a nearby steak knife but he’s successful. He pulls the sandwich apart popping a piece of cheese into his own mouth and offering JR the bacon. JR opens his mouth accepting it.

“I figured I’d tell you eventually. It’s really not a big deal at all. He was never my boyfriend. Unlike Mr. Ohno,” Nathan says teasingly. JR gasps.

“That is completely different!” he replies.

“How so?” Nathan asks. “Is or is he not the best your sport has ever seen?” JR’s mouth opens but no words come out. “Is he not the medal record holder for the Winter Olympics?” JR whines a little but can’t formulate a response. “Is he not super hot, famous, and successful?” Nathan finishes. “Most importantly he was your boyfriend for like a year. I had one really good night with Michael. That hardly compares!” Nathan explains. JR frowns at him.

“He’s Michael Phelps. The most famous Olympian EVER. Winner of the most Olympic Medals EVER!” JR reasons.

“Technically there’s some little Soviet Gymnast who has more medals overall. He just has the most GOLD ever, but that’s beside the point. Why are we even fighting about this? It’s a stupid conversation,” Nathan says a little sharply standing up out of JR’s lap. JR frowns, unhappy with the turn in the conversation and Nathan’s refusal to discuss it. His arm tightens around Nathan’s middle, pulling him back down. He turns, scowling a little, to look at JR, who reaches up to pull his mouth into a kiss. Nathan melts and smiles against his lips, wrapping a long arm around JR’s back. He presses closer opening his mouth against JR’s and humming with pleasure when JR opens his in response. Jacko makes a gagging noise.

“God, will you two get a room!? I’m trying to eat here!” he says tossing a balled up paper-towel at the back of Nathan’s head. Nathan and JR break apart laughing, faces flushing red.

“Not a bad idea!” Nathan says standing again and dragging JR up by his hand. “Come on lover boy,” he teases pulling a laughing JR out of the room and up the stairs to his room, leaving Jacko laughing loudly in the kitchen.

“He’s on taper! Don’t let him work too hard!” he yells after them.

 

Apolo’s visit two days later is a surprise. JR’s been talking to him a little bit, texting, an email or three, trying to get back to a genuine friendship with the man. So Apolo knows where JR is in general. And there are a million different places he could have gotten the dorm name and room number from, but none of this is going through JR’s mind when there’s a knock on his door and he opens it to see Apolo’s smiling face. His first instinct is to close the door. No. His first instinct is to yank him inside and kiss him. His second instinct is to close the door. Instead he does neither. He just stands there, mouth hanging open in shock.

“You going to let me in, JR?” Apolo asks, smiling that smile. The one that was just for JR. JR melts a little and steps back into the dorm room.

“Come on in,” he says, waiting for Apolo to step inside and closing the door behind him. When he turns around, he is immediately pulled into a hug. Apolo’s arms wrapping tight around him.

“I’m sorry,” Apolo whispers. “I’m so so sorry. I was an ass and an idiot, and I’m so sorry I hurt you. I know I’ve told you that before, but still…” JR feels his chest constrict. He hugs Apolo back, just as tightly, letting his forehead fall to rest on Apolo’s shoulder. It feels good to hug Apolo again, to hug someone smaller than himself for a change.

“I’m sorry too,” he says softly. Apolo pulls back, smiling at him.

“I know I probably should have called or texted or something, but I wanted to see you in person. To say that in person,” Apolo says. JR lets him go, going to sit at the head of his bed. The dorm room’s a mess. Carl had already moved out, a week ahead of the end of the semester. A small mercy. JR’s stuff was already half packed up and stacked by the door.

“It’s fine. You just surprised me is all,” he says, folding his legs under himself, and watching Apolo flop backward to lay flat on the end of his bed. Apolo turns his head to the left to look at JR. He grins widely.

“So how was your first semester? Tell me about this Nathan guy! I want all the news!” Apolo says eagerly. JR laughs, blushing a little.

“Who told you about Nathan?” he asks in embarrassment. Apolo smirks.

“Guess. You get three tries and they’d all be right!” Apolo teases. JR flops back against the wall behind him laughing and covering his face.

“I’m gonna kill all three of them,” he growls. Apolo laughs.

“Tell me about him! I know nothing but his name and that he is to quote Simon, ‘Really fucking hot!’” JR is reduced to giggling at this and sits up straighter reaching for his phone.

“Well he is. He’s a swimmer,” he explains. Apolo’s eyes light up as JR starts scrolling through options on his phone.

“Ooohhh, pictures!” Apolo crows, sitting up to get a better look.

Apolo’s there for an hour. He asks about Nathan, congratulates JR on finding a hot boyfriend, asks him about his family and his classes and his training. Fills him in on his own private life. All the stuff that can’t be posted on Twitter and Facebook. Apolo asks if it’s ok if he comes by for visits more often and finally says he has to go, that he’s only in San Fran for the day, and has a dinner meeting that night. They stand up off the bed.

“Apolo…” he says quietly. Apolo nods. “I understand why it didn’t work between us. If we’d stayed together we’d both be miserable right now. It was a shitty way to end things, and not the best timing on your part,” Apolo winces at this, conceding the point. “Buuut,” JR smiles at him. “You’ve always been there for me when I needed you to be, and I don’t want to lose your friendship. So, I’m going to forgive you for,” here he bats his eyelashes dramatically, “breaking my fragile heart!” There’s more truth in the words than humor, and Apolo’s face barely cracks a very small smile. “Friends, real honest to God, equal friends?” JR asks, extending a hand. Apolo grins at him. He reaches for the hand, but instead tugs, JR into another full bodied hug. His arms wrap tightly around JR’s body, holding him close, and squeezing. JR hugs him back, closing his eyes and sighing. That’s when Nathan opens the door, sees them, and the shouting starts.

JR shoos Apolo to the door, stopping him from decking Nathan at the words leaving the taller mans mouth.

“Go!” JR orders. “You’ll only make things worse. Go!” Apolo mimes making a telephone call and JR nods, closing the door behind him. JR wheels around, glaring a little at Nathan. That’s when the shouting starts a second time.

Ten minutes into the fight, after numerous accusations of lying and cheating and JR trying to defend himself, the fight finally comes to a head.

“Why do you do this? Why are you so afraid of opening yourself up to someone?” JR shouts.

“I’m not doing anything. JR this is on you! And I’m not afraid of opening myself up!” Nathan argues.

“Yes you are! It’s why you won’t tell your parents about us! It’s why I can’t officially move in with you and Jacko!”

“Why are you even bringing that up!? Why are we arguing about this? It has nothing to do with this! With what’s going on right here. Right now!” Nathan shouts.

“It has everything to do with it. You don’t talk to me! You don’t trust in me!” JR shouts. “I’ve told you my entire life story. About training and moving away as a kid, about Vancouver, and Apolo, and the fall. You know my entire history. Everything that makes me tick. And I feel like I barely know you at all! You don’t ever want to argue or disagree. You just tell me to drop it and move on and we don’t fight. That isn’t healthy, Nathan. Couples fight. They disagree and they compromise. They don’t ignore issues and avoid discussing things that might be a problem later on! That is what this is about!”

“No this is about me walking in on you and your ex-boyfriend all over each other!” Nathan replies face flushing red with anger.

“No. That’s not what happened! That’s just what you assume happened. You walked in on me hugging my friend and mentor, Apolo. He’s been in my life, a major part of my life, for 8 years, Nathan. Yes we broke up but we still care about each other. If I felt like I could talk to you about him without you changing the subject you might have realized that things were better between the two of us. He didn’t come here to seduce me away from you or anything stupid like that. He just wanted to see me! It was just a hug! That’s all you saw!” JR shouts.

“He had his arms wrapped around you!” Nathan snaps, arms crossing over his chest.

“That is the general mechanics of a hug!” JR screams. He groans tugging at his hair and flopping down on his dorm room bed. He pulls his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. “Why are you so sure that something happened?” he asks quietly, rubbing at his face with one hand.

“He’s your ex-boyfriend, JR. And I found you alone in your dorm room with him,” Nathan says quietly, sitting down on the other end of the bed.

“And what have I ever done to make you mistrust me? To make you doubt me? I’ve never lied to you. Yet you have been doubting me since the day you met me. Why?” JR asks, looking sideways at Nathan. Nathan sighs, his whole face contorting with some emotion that makes JR’s insides twist. “Nathan?” he asks quietly. Nathan stands up from the bed.

“I have to go,” he says making for the dorm room door. JR jumps up diving after him. He grips Nathan’s arm, not hard, but with enough pressure to make Nathan freeze in place.

“Nathan, please!?” JR begs. Nathan shakes his head.

“My plane leaves in less than 12 hours. I’ve got a major competition on the other side of the world. I cannot deal with this tonight. I’ll see you when I get back,” he says, pulling his arm free, and yanking the door open. JR lets him go without resisting.

“Nathan, I won’t be here when you get back. The end of the semester is Friday. You won’t be home until Monday. I’m supposed to fly back to Washington this weekend,” JR says softly, unable to look Nathan in the eye. Nathan takes a deep breath.

“I’ll call you, ok?” he says softly. JR nods, he reaches for Nathan, tugging him around by the front of his t-shirt.

“Kiss me goodbye,” JR says looking up at the taller man. Nathan avoids his eyes. JR tugs on his shirt again, harder this time. “Kiss me goodbye, Nathan,” JR says a little bit desperately. Nathan bends down pressing his mouth to JR’s. But it’s a cold kiss, with no feeling in it, and when Nathan pulls back his face is made of stone.

“Goodbye, JR,” he says, turning away and walking down the hallway. He doesn’t look back.

 

JR’s not sure how he gets through finals week. Nathan flies out on Monday, heading for Dubai for Short Course Worlds, which don’t start until Wednesday, and JR doesn’t hear from him at all. He turns in his English paper, finished the day before the big fight, and studies like mad for his Stat final. When it’s all said and done he finds himself sitting on his bed, on Friday night, after having finished his last assignment, not knowing what to do to make it all better. Instead he packs his bags, boxes up the last of his stuff, and loads it all into the rented truck and deposits it in his rented storage facility to wait for next semester. Then he heads to the airport to catch an earlier flight.

He tries really hard to not think about Nathan. But it’s impossible. He is, he realizes, just a little bit in love with the guy and definitely a little bit heartbroken over how they’d left things. After about four days he texts Jacko, who asks him what the fuck is going on, tells him Nathan’s not swimming worth shit, and tells him to forgive the big idiot for whatever it was he’d done wrong. JR texts back only once: “He’s the one who walked away.” That night he goes online and looks up the short course world championships. He finds one video of a race Nathan’s in. He looks tense, angry as he walks out, and he ends up in 6th place. He watches the second race after an hour of searching for it. He finishes seventh, but gets bumped to 6th when someone else gets DQ'd. JR sighs shutting off the computer, and going to bed. He doesn’t sleep well. He wants to call Nathan. To tell him it’s ok, and that there will be other competitions. But his pride won’t let him contact Nathan, determined for the other man to make the first move, which he admits to himself is fairly juvenile. But at this point, JR doesn’t give a shit.

JR’s parents know about Nathan. Know JR was dating a guy at school, a swimmer from the local area, that something big happened, a fight of some kind the last week of school. They give him space and let him mope around the house being Emo as hell. They’re worried, but they don’t pry, for which JR is infinitely grateful.

So when Nathan knocks on the door on Christmas Eve, looking nervous and ready to bolt, Sue smiles at him and invites him in out of the cold.

“Come on in, honey. I’ll get JR,” she sits him down on the couch, where he starts fidgeting. Sue practically skips to the kitchen, where JR is decorating sugar cookies before they go into the oven, and Bob sits reading the paper. She kisses JR on the cheek, flicks off the oven, and grabs him by the wrist. “Bob, get up and grab your jacket.” She pulls JR down the hallway.

“Mom? What the hel…heck!?” JR asks. She grins at him.

“He’s here!” she hisses, shoving him into the living room. JR stumbles to a halt, partly in shock at seeing Nathan sitting on the couch and partly embarrassed at being manhandled by his mother in front of him. Bob stops behind them.

“Hello,” he says grinning widely. Sue grabs up her jacket and purse, pushing Bob’s coat into his arms.

“Come on, honey. We have to go take care of that thing…” she says pointedly. Bob looks at her confused. She rolls her eyes. She kisses JR’s cheek again, making him flush. “See you later, Baby. We’ll be home late, and we’ll call you when we’re on our way back! Love you!” she grabs Bob by his arm, and pulls the unresisting man to the door.

“But dinner? Cookies?” he asks. She shushes him, bundling him outside and closing the door loudly behind them both. JR looks back at Nathan, who has stood up from the couch and stands looking at him sort of awkwardly confused.

“Hi,” Nathan says softly. JR clears his throat, scratching at the back of his head.

“Hi,” he says back. Nathan shuffles a few steps closer.

“I’m sorry,” Nathan says. JR nods.

“For what, exactly?” JR asks. Nathan bites his bottom lip.

“For being an ass. For not trusting you. For jumping to conclusions. For not being more open. For walking out and not calling when I said I would.” JR sighs in response.

“That’s a lot of stuff to be sorry for.”

“Yeah, I know. All those fights I didn’t let us have. They kind of built up until we had one big one, and even then I didn’t let it play out. I just shut it down before it could finish. I’m sorry for that.” Nathan looks down. JR walks closer.

“I’m sorry too,” he says quietly, making Nathan look up in confusion. JR sighs again. “I should have told you about Apolo. That I was talking to him again. I just didn’t want things to be any tenser between us than they already were. I knew you wouldn’t like it,” JR tries to explain.

“He’s your ex, JR. Of course I wouldn’t have liked it!” Nathan replies. JR scoffs.

“You’re doing it again. Look, Nathan, this is my decision. Apolo has been in my life for 17 years. Yeah we dated for a year, and he broke up with me. But that doesn’t erase all those other years. He’s important. And if I think I can have a platonic friendship with him that is my choice. You being jealous is not helping matters.” JR argues back.

“I’m not jealous of Apolo,” Nathan replies. JR scoffs. “I’m not! JR I don’t want him to hurt you again! Hasn’t he done enough damage?” Nathan asks. Sudden understanding fills JR and he gasps.

“That’s what it is, isn’t it?” he asks. “That’s why you didn’t want me to see him. He hurt me once, so he’ll do it again?” He watches Nathan nod his head. “By your reasoning I shouldn’t forgive you then!” JR says back smartly. Nathan’s head jerks up in shock. JR smirks at him. “You said horrible things. You basically broke up with me. You didn’t trust me. That fucking hurt, Nathan. Does that mean you can’t be in my life anymore?” he asks. Nathan turns, walking away, and slumping down to sit on the couch again. JR walks closer. Nathan leans over bracing his head in his hands. “It’s part of being in a relationship, Nathan. If you open yourself up to people, if you care about them, you give them the ability to hurt you. That’s why you have to trust them. That’s why you have to let them get to know you, the real you, so that they can tread carefully.” He steps closer, sitting down on the coffee table in front of Nathan, reaching forward hesitantly to touch Nathan’s wrists. Nathan looks up at him and there’s more emotion in his expression than JR can ever remember seeing there before.

“If you still want to be with me, you have to trust me. I’ve never lied to you. Not once. I’m in love with you, Nathan,” JR says. Nathan takes a deep breath, and JR’s shocked to see tears in his eyes as he nods. He reaches forward, sliding his arm around JR’s body and hugging him tightly.

“I love you,” he whispers. Making JR squeeze him tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I love you,” he says over and over. JR tugs him tighter, his hands running up and down the older man’s long back. He lets Nathan vent a little, crying silently into his shoulder. When Nathan starts sniffling and slowly releases his hold on him, he leans back.

“Are you ready to talk to me?” JR asks. Nathan takes a deep breath and nods. And then he starts talking.

Nathan tells JR about his family, and his childhood. About how loving and wonderful it all was. But how he just knew his parents would never be happy if he came out to them. They wanted him to have the wife, and the 2.3 kids, and the picket fence. It was practically set in stone. So he’d never told his parents he was gay. Just let them think he was straight. Then his Senior year of high school he got his first boyfriend. A new kid, who was out and proud and thought he should be too. Who told Nathan he loved him, argued with him about his being in the closet, and then proceeded to out him to his parents, and his brother and sister, against Nathan’s wishes. Nathan had, out of desperation denied it, dumped the guy, and spent the rest of the school year acting like the guy didn’t exist, happy as hell to move to Berkeley at the first opportunity.

“Then Michael happened,” Nathan says laughing a little. JR’s forehead creases in confusion. “Here was Michael Phelps, telling me that a lot of the guys on the national team were if not outright gay, at least open minded enough to give it a go. That I didn’t have to hide who I was with them. That they didn’t care, and they weren’t idiotic enough to talk about that kind of stuff outside the locker room. That there was no way my parents would ever find out.” Nathan shrugs his shoulders. “I might have gone a little bit sex crazed at that news,” he says sheepishly. JR laughs in response. “I had a few boyfriends, nothing ever seemed to last, but there was never any real drama. I just couldn’t trust them, after Pete,” he sighs. He looks at JR. “You once told me that you weren’t like those other guys. That I should stop expecting things from you or assuming things about you because you weren’t them. I should have listened.” Nathan says sincerely. JR smiles. He stands up moving to sit on the couch beside Nathan.

“Now I know why you are the way you are. Why you don’t like fighting, or talking about personal stuff. Why you didn’t trust me and why you really weren’t happy to see Apolo. So that just leaves one more thing,” he says softly. Nathan looks at him expectantly. “Do you want to give this another go? Do you want to be with me?” JR asks. A grin lights up Nathan’s face.

“Yes. If you want to be with me… Because I would completely understand if you just decided that I wasn’t worth the..” he’s cut off when JR presses his mouth to his. JR smiles against his lips, opening his mouth and inviting Nathan’s inside. Nathan complies, responding in kind, and reaching out to pull JR closer. JR sighs, leaning forward to climb up into Nathan’s lap. He groans, hands sliding down to tug at Nathan’s sweater, sliding his hands up under the wool fabric and cotton t-shirt to presses his fingers to Nathan’s abs. Nathan grins, sucking at JR’s tongue, and clutching him closer, one hand sliding down the back of JR’s jeans. They break the kiss panting. “What’s next?” Nathan asks quietly. JR laughs.

“Next? Why make-up sex, of course!” he says, nipping at Nathan’s chin. Nathan laughs.

“Here? On the couch?” he asks. JR giggles.

“Couch sex is hot, but no. Not here. My grandmother will be sitting on this spot tomorrow morning for Christmas brunch and presents and I would like to be able to look her in the eye. So no, definitely not here!” he pulls back, standing up out of Nathan’s lap and tugging on his hand to get him up. “My room,” he says leading Nathan up the stairs and into his room. Nathan is blown away by the site that greets him. The rooms a perfect reflection of what he’s always imagined a younger JR would be like. Seattle based tour posters, a Seahawks jersey, his high school diploma, all vying for space with the dozens of medals and plaques decorating the walls. JR pushes him toward the bed. “You can examine my adolescent psyche at a later time!” he teases, pressing Nathan back onto the mattress. Nathan laughs, kicking off his shoes without untying them, and reaching for JR’s clothes. JR pulls away, going to the door to lock it, and stopping at a half unpacked suitcase on his way back to the bed. He sets down a bottle of lube and some condoms on the bedside table climbing back into Nathan’s arms and kissing him again. Clothing removal and skin on skin contact becoming more and more important as the seconds go by.

When they’re naked, Nathan rolls them over, putting JR under him, his legs spread, and Nathan’s hips cradled in the V of his thighs. JR rocked his hips up.

“Come on,” he growled. Nathan kisses him again, hands hiking JR’s hips up into his own, making them both groan. Nathan sits back, kneeling on the bed, to reach for the bottle of lube. He warms some between his hands, slicking up his fingers and looking down at JR, spread out beneath him. He presses one finger inside, watching JR’s cheeks flush with pleasure and arousal. JR shifts his hips at the intrusion, groaning a little, and reaching one hand up to grip a bar on the head board. JR stares up at him, eyes a little glassy with want. Nathan grins pressing a second finger inside, making JR give a full bodied shudder. A third makes JR’s hips rock, flexing in a little circle, his eyes drooping a little. Nathan leans closer again, pressing his mouth to JR’s, his free hand closing on a condom. He sits back looking down at the tiny square of foil. He looks at it and then at JR, pliant and warm under him.

“I trust you,” he whispers. JR blinks at him in confusion.

“What?” he asks. Nathan grins pressing a kiss to JR’s cheek. He holds up the condom.

“I’m clean. We get tested every six months. I’m safe, and I love you, and I trust you,” he explains. JR blinks at him again, coming out of his stupor, and sitting up to look him in the eye.

“Nathan this is huge. You don’t have to do this to convince me, or to prove something,” JR says quietly, slightly breathless. Nathan grins at him. He presses a kiss to JR’s mouth, his tongue pressing in. He breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead to JR’s.

“I know. I’m not trying to prove anything. This is important. I know what I’m saying. I love you. I want to be with you. I trust you with everything,” he says quietly. JR nods. He wraps his arms around Nathan’s chest, pulling him close against himself.

“I was tested in August, just before leaving for school. I’m clean,” he whispers. “You’re the only one I’ve been with since then, and I’ve never had sex without a rubber.” Nathan looks up at him in shock.

“If you want me too…” he says reaching for the condom packet where he’d just dropped it. JR’s hand stops him. He shifts in Nathan’s lap.

“I don’t want you too. Just thought you should know,” JR says, feeling self-conscious. Nathan grins at him, kissing him again, and pressing him back into the bed. JR’s hips flex, rising up to give Nathan room to maneuver. Nathan shifts, spreading lube across his erection, and then grips JR’s hip with one hand and his own dick with the other. He looks up, meeting JR’s eyes, and presses inside. JR’s eyes widen with the sensation and he gasps. Nathan tries not to react to the tight hot feeling of being inside of JR. Instead he focuses on JR’s reaction. The younger man groans, his hips shifting to press tighter against Nathan’s, to push him deeper. JR’s eyes flutter closed.

“Jesus,” he whispers. “Nathan. Fuck,” he pants, pleasure contorting his face. “I can feel you so much better,” JR groans, letting his head fall back. Nathan lets himself smile.

“Good?” he asks. JR lets out a laugh, opening his eyes again, and looking directly into Nathan’s.

“Fucking amazing,” he replies grinning. “Now fuck me,” JR commands, shifting his hips and making Nathan groan. Nathan nods, pulling out of JR, and then sliding back in again. JR grunts, tightening around him, and Nathan, wanting to hit the right spot, repeats the action, changing the angle and making JR react louder. It’s two more thrusts before he hits JR’s prostate perfectly and JR practically howls underneath him. Nathan laughs at the reaction, and focuses on keeping that perfect angle. He thrusts again and again, JR’s voice and physical reaction directing the pace and force of his movements. JR’s legs folding up around Nathan waist to hold his hips closer. Nathan presses deeper, upping his speed and making JR cry out louder. Determined, Nathan keeps up that pace at that angle pressing deep and reaching down to grip JR’s erection where it’s been laying largely ignored. He grips it firmly, squeezing just as he presses deep. He watches JR’s eyes roll back that much further in his head.

“Come on,” he whispers. “JR come for me. Please, JR,” he says. JR groans his hands tightening on Nathan’s shoulders as his body goes tight, and he comes against his own stomach, shouting Nathan’s name in relief. Nathan presses in deep and stays there, letting JR ride out his orgasm completely before resuming his movements. JR grins up at him, wearing a sort of goofy smile, and hikes his own hips up higher. It changes the angle and makes Nathan groan.

“Your turn,” JR says with a smirk. Nathan laughs, leaning forward to take JR’s mouth with his own. His breathing speeds up with the pace of his hips, his hands clutching JR closer, and JR smiles watching the tension mounting in Nathan’s face and quickly giving way to pleasure.

“JR!” he shouts, body freezing and hands clutching at JR. JR grins holding him just as tightly, as Nathan comes. Letting the other man ride out his pleasure before slowly turning onto his side to let Nathan collapse on the mattress next to him.

JR curls up against Nathan’s heaving chest, watching him slowly calm his breathing. When his eyes open and refocus again he looks down at JR and smiles.

“OK, we should fight more often if we get to have make-up sex like that…” he says teasing. JR laughs, smacking him in the shoulder.

“It is one of the few perks. But let’s not fight just to make-up,” JR reasons. He scoots up the bed to put his head on the same pillow cradling Nathan’s, his arm flung across Nathan’s chest. Nathan turns into him dimples showing with the force of his grin.

“That sounds like a good idea,” he says reaching up to brush back JR’s hair. “So what do you want to know?” Nathan asks. JR looks confused.

“About what?” JR asks. Nathan takes a deep breath.

“You said I don’t tell you things. That I hide myself from you. That you barely know me, about my past. Well… Ok. Ask me anything you want and I’ll tell you.” The offer makes JR grin in reply.

“Oh you’re going to regret that,” he teases.

They talk for several hours, stopping somewhere in the middle for round two. JR learns more about Nathan in that one afternoon than he did in the previous three months of their relationship. Finally as it’s getting dark, JR pulls him from the bed, grabs up their clothes and takes him down the hallway to take a shower. It’s harder getting dressed than JR feels it really ought to be, especially with Nathan pouting a little when JR pulls away from his grip.

“We have to stop! It’s Christmas Eve! My parents have fled the house! We have to get dressed and stop so they can come home!” JR laughs, backing out of the bedroom slowly, buttoning his jeans and hastily pulling his shirt on. Nathan sighs dramatically and hurriedly gets dressed to follow him.

He finds JR in the kitchen, scrapping at dried out sugar cookies stuck to the cookie sheet and throwing them away. JR shakes his head at him.

“These are a total loss. All hard and gross. We’ll have to make more,” JR says smiling. Nathan blinks at him.

“You want me to bake?” he asks. JR laughs at him.

“Are you physically incapable of baking?” JR says. Nathan rolls his eyes.

“No. But I haven’t really done it before. My Mom only taught Donella how to bake,” Nathan explains. JR grins at him.

“Well I was the baby in a family of boys. My Mom decided if she was going to teach any of us how to bake, it was going to have to be me,” JR says. He goes to the oven to turn in on to pre-heat. “Wash your hands, Private Adrian, you’ve been drafted!”

“Sir, Yes, Sir!” Nathan says with a salute going to wash his hands. JR shakes his head pulling eggs out of the fridge and opening his cell. He sets the eggs on the counter, and dials his mother’s cell number.

“JR?” she asks. JR sighs.

“Hey, Mom,” he says.

“Are you ok, honey? Is everything alright?” she says sounding concerned. JR rolls his eyes.

“I’m just fine, Mom. You and dad can come home any time you want to,” he tells her. He walks to the cupboard to get down a clean mixing bowl.

“Are you sure, JR? Did you take him back? Because we can stay out a little longer, if you need some more time alone to deal with your issues,” she offers. JR laughs out loud.

“Nathan and I are back together. We’re actually in the kitchen, baking cookies. So yes, you and Dad can come home. It’s Christmas Eve!” he tells her. She laughs into the phone.

“We’ll be home in half an hour. Tell Nathan he can stay for dinner,” she, as always hangs up without saying goodbye. JR laughs closing the phone and putting it away.

“They on their way?” Nathan asks, leaning one hip against the counter. JR nods, smiling at him.

“Half an hour,” he says, stepping closer to the older man, and leaning up to kiss him. Nathan leans down, pressing his mouth to JR’s, and wrapping his arms around him. The oven beeping its readiness has JR pulling away, slightly flushed.

“Let’s get baking. Oh, and my Mom said you’re invited to dinner if you want to stay.” Nathan’s forehead creases with confusion.

“Why wouldn’t I want to stay?” he asks. JR frowns.

“Your entire family is less than an hour away, and they haven’t seen you since like August. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to spend tonight at home,” JR explains. Nathan smiles.

“Actually. Christmas Eve isn’t a big deal at my parent’s house. Christmas Day is the important part. I was going to ask if you wanted to have dinner with my family tomorrow? Would that be a problem? What part of the holiday is the most important part to your family?” he asks. JR grins at him.

“Presents and Brunch. That’s the big thing at the Celski’s. The immediate family has dinner tonight, so my brother, Chris, will probably descend on the house at any moment. We get up in the morning to open presents and then the bigger family comes over for brunch tomorrow morning,” JR explains.

“So, would you be willing to head over to my parents house after brunch?” Nathan asks. JR grins at him, stepping close and hugging him.

“Yes. I think that sounds great,” he replies.

“Good. So… cookies?” Nathan asks. JR pulls back laughing again.

“Yes. I promise they’re not as scary as you think!”

 

JR’s parents get home a half an hour later, carrying take-out bags from a local barbecue joint. JR introduces them both to Nathan, who gets his hand shaken by Bob, and his ribs nearly crushed by Sue. Chris arrives a few minutes later, and proceeds to pick up JR like he weighs nothing and spin him around. He greets Nathan openly with a handshake and a smile, not knowing about the fight. While Bob eyes Nathan a little bit warily, and looks uncomfortable with how tall Nathan is. He’s not used to having to look up to talk to JR’s boyfriends. JR pulls him aside, tells him everything is fine, and to please stop making Nathan feel like he’s being interrogated. Bob reluctantly agrees, and spends the rest of the evening getting to know the guy better. Dinner is great, casual and happy.

Nathan gets to know JR’s family, even gets to meet JR’s other older brother David when he video calls from Iraq. After dinner they spend the whole evening with JR’s family watching Christmas movies. By bedtime, Sue’s a little bit in love with Nathan’s dimples. He gets offered a beer by Bob, a true sign he likes the guy. And Chris is making plans to take them both to a Seahawks game at some point, so JR counts the night as an overwhelming success. When everyone starts to go to bed, no one says a word about JR dragging Nathan upstairs and into his room.

“Shouldn’t I be in like the guest room or on the couch or something?” Nathan asks, watching JR strip down to his boxers, and then slipping on an old t-shirt and pajama pants. JR gives him a smile and rolls his eyes.

“My parents know we’re sleeping together. So why pretend like we aren’t? I have a very honest and open relationship with my parents. They don’t know exactly what I do, and I don’t give them details, but they aren’t under some delusion that I’m a virgin or something. Why do you think my mom made it so clear this afternoon that they were going to be gone a long time and that they would call before they came home? They didn’t want to interrupt!” JR says grinning. Nathan blushes red in response.

“Oh my God, you’re joking! You mean they know what we were doing up here?” he asks. JR laughs shaking his head.

“Oh that’s adorable Nathan!” he says teasingly, tugging on his hand. “Sit down. I’m going to go raid Chris’s bags for something you can wear. Since you didn’t think to bring any bags with you!”

“I dropped them at my parent’s house. Which reminds me; I should probably call them.” JR freezes at the door and turns to look at him.

“Your parents don’t know where you are, do they?” he asks. Nathan shrugs.

“No one was home earlier. I dropped my stuff in my room and left a note that I’d be back sometime tomorrow.” He pulls out his cell phone and turns it on while JR watches. There’s a dozen text messages, mostly from Nathan’s older sister Donella, and a few from his older brother Justin. There’s also half dozen from Jacko. His are mostly along the lines of “Grovel if you have too!” “Jesus, Bok Choy, he’s the best thing to ever happen to you!” and “Stop being a dick head!” Nathan shakes his head, replying to the last one, “You’re a fucking idiot, Adrian,” with JR’s name a smiley face and a sideways heart. Sappy but true. Then he dials his sister’s number.

“Where the hell are you, Nate!” she asks, in a hushed voice. Nathan rolls his eyes, shooing JR out of the bedroom.

“Hey, Don, how was dinner?” he asks.

“Nathan! I want an explanation! It’s Christmas Eve. You drop your shit off when no one else is here, leave a note with no explanation and we don’t hear from you until almost midnight. Mom’s freaking out!” Nathan winces at the words, and hangs his head.

“I had something I had to take care of. I’m sorry if I made you all worry. Christmas Eve is never a big deal at home. I didn’t think anyone would care,” he says softly. She sighs in response.

“Yeah, most of the time we wouldn’t. But this is my first Christmas as a married woman, which has Mom and Dad freaking out. You’ve been distant all semester. Now you’ve disappeared and no one knows where you are! And you just had that disastrous competition in Dubai last week. Did you think we’d all forgotten about that?” she asks. Nathan sighs, flopping back on the bed.

“No. But, I was kind of hoping that that particular conversation could wait until after Christmas,” he says closing his eyes.

“Oh, Nate… We’re just worried about you. You are the baby of the family, even if you are also taller than all of us. When are you coming home?” she asks. He rubs a hand over his face.

“Tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be home in plenty of time for the big family dinner. But can you do me a favor?”

“Anything, what is it?”

“Can you tell Mom she needs to set an extra place for dinner tomorrow night? I’m bringing someone over to meet the family.” There’s a gasp from the other end of the connection.

“Oh… a special friend?” she asks teasingly.

“Maybe. You’ll just have to wait and see. So will you tell her?”

“Of course! But they’re going to want an explanation when you get here,” she warns him. Nathan smiles watching JR step back into the room with a pair of plaid drawstring pajama pants in hand.

“Yes. I know. Big family discussion is imminent. I’m prepared for that.”

“Good,” she pauses. “I love you little brother,” she says quietly. Nathan grins.

“I love you too, Donella.” She hangs up the phone without saying goodbye. He shuts his phone off for the night, sitting up, and tossing it onto JR’s nightstand. JR stops in front of him, tossing the pajama pants onto the bed beside him.

“That your sister?” he asks. Nathan nods, reaching out to rest his hands on JR’s hips. He tugs him closer, his arms sliding around the smaller mans waist. He hugs him closer and nods but doesn’t say anything. JR brings up a hand to bury in Nathan’s hair. “Hey, you ok?” he asks. Nathan picks up his head to look JR in the eyes.

“I’m ok. Maybe a little bit nervous about tomorrow. Telling them isn’t going to be easy. It’s going to upset them. I just know it is,” he says softly. JR frowns.

“If you don’t want me there, or you want to put this off, I don’t have to go,” Nathan silences him with a kiss, pulling his body into the v of his own thighs.

“No,” he says breaking the kiss. “I don’t want to put this off. I want to tell them, to be honest with them. When my mom asks me if I’m seeing anyone, I don’t want to lie anymore. I want to be able to tell them about you and have them know what you mean to me. So I want you there. I can use all the moral support I can get!” he jokes. JR grins at him.

“We should go to bed. It’s already midnight. Busy day tomorrow,” he pulls out of Nathan’s hold, and reaches for the pj pants he’d set beside Nathan on the bed. “Put those on. I’m going to go brush my teeth. You can… I don’t know use toothpaste on your finger, and use mouthwash or something,” he jokes turning to leave the room again. Nathan snags his hand, standing up and pulling JR back around. He bends down, pressing his mouth to JR’s in a deep kiss. JR groans, melting against him a little. Nathan breaks the kiss.

“I love you,” he whispers. JR grins at him, a little dazed.

“I love you, too” he says, working his hands up under Nathan’s t-shirt. Nathan grips his wrists and shakes his head.

“Your parents might be super supportive. But I can’t have sex with you while they’re down the hall. I just can’t!” Nathan says apologetically. JR groans, pressing against him.

“You are a big old cock tease,” he says pulling away, and stomping off to go brush his teeth. Nathan is left standing in the middle of the room turning red with laughter.

 

Nathan sleeps fitfully for the first part of the night, curled around JR’s back and listening to him breathe. Somewhere around 4am though, JR flips over, curls up across Nathan’s chest, and sleepily tells him to “Go to sleep already, Nathan.” And for some reason, Nathan does. He wakes up around 9:30am with JR’s head resting on his bare chest, and one muscular arm curled around his waist. He watches JR sleep for a few minutes. The room is bright with winter light and it makes JR look kind of angelic, all messy hair and long eye lashes, and sleep flushed cheeks. Then JR yawns, and rolls over and the image is ruined, by him reaching down to scratch his balls. JR wakes up to Nathan’s laughter. He blinks his eyes open and rubs at his head, turning to look at Nathan. But the baffled expression on JR’s face just makes Nathan laugh harder. A knock on the door has Nathan pressing his face into his pillow, and JR scrambling out of bed, to answer the door. It’s Chris on the other side, looking highly amused.

“Come on, love birds. We’re waiting to do presents,” he says, reaching out to further mess up JR’s hair. JR ducks away and closes the door in Chris’s face. He promptly knocks again and then shouts through the closed door. “No time for morning nookie. We’re all waiting!” JR groans, pressing his back to the door. He turns to look at Nathan, who is lying on the bed near hysterical with laughter. JR grins, running back to the bed and jumping on top of the older man. Nathan lets out a little shout and tries to flip JR off of him, but JR has his hips pinned. He tickles Nathan’s sides making him laugh and squirm under him. When Nathan cries for mercy, JR relents and climbs off. Nathan sits up face red with laughter and hair a mess.

“That was uncalled for!” he protests. JR rolls his eyes and throws Nathan’s jeans at him.

“Get dressed. Wouldn’t want my parents to think we’re up here having a quickie do you?” he asks. Nathan scrambles to obey.

Witnessing another families Christmas morning routine makes Nathan feel strange. His parents haven’t really done the big presents thing since he was little. Once his older brother and sister moved out it became less of a priority. The number of presents under the tree shrank to four or five a person and it became more about the quality time of eating dinner together than an all day celebration. He feels included though. Watches JR open presents, and pass out the ones he’d helped shop for in Berkeley. Then JR pulls one out from under the tree with Nathan’s name on it and hands it to him. Nathan grins at him, ripping open the paper and finds a new car charger. He grins at JR and laughs.

“A new charger?” he asks. JR shrugs.

“I did break the last one,” he says with a grin. Nathan puts his head back and laughs.

“Thank you,” he says. JR points to the box.

“There’s more!” Nathan digs in the bottom of the box and finds a custom iPhone cover. He flips it over and looks at the design. He grins. Printed across the back of the cover is a picture of the Berkeley swimming pool just as the sun is setting, the light shining golden red across the turquoise of the water. And etched into the bottom is the Olympic rings.

“Oh that is just awesome,” Nathan says. It’s a beautiful picture, and the view makes him think of the pool that’s become like home over the last four years. JR grins at him, happy he likes it.

“I got you something else but it’s private,” he says. Which makes Chris laugh, and Nathan blush. JR shakes his head. “It’s nothing dirty!” he says punching his brother in the arm. Chris laughs harder, and shoves JR away. The fight is broken up by Sue yelling at the two of them to knock it off. She yanks Chris up off of JR where he has him half pinned to the floor, and orders the older man into the kitchen to help her get brunch started. JR climbs up off the floor and sits back on the couch beside Nathan, slightly out of breath. Nathan shakes his head at him and JR grins back. He leans closer. “Ok it might be a little bit dirty,” he says quietly. Nathan laughs intrigued by the notion.

“How dirty?” he asks softly. JR grins at him.

“Well, you know how you were disappointed that I wouldn’t wear one of those banana hammocks for you? I might have gone out and gotten a pair for your eyes only,” he says, blushing a little. Nathan’s eyes flutter closed at the thought, and he hummed trying to picture it.

“What color?” he asks quietly, his arms sliding off the back of the couch to curl around JR’s shoulder. JR laughs in his ear.

“White,” he whispered. Nathan groaned putting his head back. JR laughed.

“I hope you like them, because I feel like I’m wearing the equivalent of a sexy negligee when I have them on,” he teases. Nathan picks his head back up and grins.

“Oh I think I will!” he says. JR snuggles into his side. “Your present is in my luggage. I swear I did not forget.” JR laughs.

“I’m a big boy, I can wait!” he replies.

“So, when does everyone get here?” Nathan asks. JR checks the clock on the mantle.

“About half an hour. Why?” JR asks. Nathan shrugs.

“Can I see your medals?” Nathan asks. JR frowns.

“Why would you want to see them? You have one of your own and yours is better,” JR says. Nathan smiles, dimples showing again.

“Don’t say that. One gold is totally not better than two bronze. Besides they’re yours! You’ve told me all about Vancouver and what it was like to be there. I’m proud of you and I want to see them. Show me!” he teases. JR rolls his eyes, and gets up from the couch.

“They’re in the safe, upstairs. Wait here,” he orders. Nathan stays put, watching JR leave the room. While he waits he pulls out his iPhone, carefully removing the scuffed black case he had been using, and slipping it carefully into the new one that JR had given him. He’s running his hands over its surface admiring the picture when JR plops back onto the couch five minutes later. JR leans over to look at it. “Oh, it looks good!” he smiles as he says it. Nathan nods, bending over to press a kiss to JR’s cheek.

“Thank you. Did you take this?” he asks. JR nods.

“After a workout a few weeks ago. Walked out of the gym and the pool was empty. The sun was shining just right. Snapped a few pics. A couple of days later you dropped yours and cracked the corner. But you were too cheap to buy a new cover, so… Merry Christmas!” JR says. Nathan grins.

“I really do like it. It’s perfect. I like the Olympic rings. It was a nice touch.” JR smiles and then takes a deep breath.

“Ok, here you go,” JR sits back in his seat and that’s when Nathan notices the two grey pouches in his lap. JR folds open one of them, pulling out a large bronze medal on a variegated blue ribbon. He hands it to Nathan, who accepts it eagerly, and with careful hands. He examines the wide ribbon rubbing his thumb down the words printed across it “Vancouver 2010” and turning it to look at the symbols on the other side. The stone man and the Olympic Rings. Then he turns to the medal itself. It’s heavier than his own, and twice the size.

“It reminds me of water,” he says, turning it this way and that, following the wavy edges and studying the pattern etched into the front. JR laughs.

“Everything reminds you of water!” he jokes. Nathan shrugs, conceding the point.

“Which one is this?” he asks. JR shrugs, tapping the back of it. Nathan laughs, flipping it over.

“Relay,” he says, seeing “5000m Men’s Short Track Relay” etched onto the back. “I still can’t believe you guys can skate with that many people on the track! It looks like total chaos.”

“One of our most dangerous races. That and the 500m,” JR says. Nathan winces, and reaches out to rest one hand on JR’s left leg. JR grins at him. “Yeah,” he says in reply to the unasked question. He reaches down to open the second pouch. He pulls out the second medal. “This is from the 1500m. My individual medal.” Nathan smiles taking it in his free hand. He flips it over to look at the back, and then to study the front.

“They’re beautiful,” Nathan says softly. He hands the first medal back to JR, watching him tuck the medal and then the ribbon carefully away. “Your parents must be insanely proud of you.” JR grins, and shrugs his shoulders.

“Probably about as proud as your parents are!” he says.

“Nah, I got mine for swimming the prelim. You actually raced for both of your medals,” Nathan replies. JR makes a face.

“Simon had to sit out the relay final after skating the prelim. He got a medal for it. His wasn’t any less earned than mine was or Travis’ or Apolo’s,” he smiles at Nathan. “You’ll show it to me tonight? Your parents have it don’t they?” he asks. Nathan flushes in reply but nods.

“Yeah, they have it at home.” He makes a face. “You really want to see it?” he asks. JR laughs.

“It’s ok for you to want to see my Olympic medals, but not for me to want to see yours?” he asks. Nathan grins at the question and at his own silliness.

“Well when you put it that way it doesn’t make much sense…” he says. Before JR can reply there’s a knock on the door and the onslaught of new Celski’s into the house begins.

Brunch seems to take hours. They’re enjoyable hours, but Nathan swears if JR’s grandma, (who is so small she barely reaches Nathan’s bellybutton) pinches his cheek and calls him a cutie pie one more time, he thinks he’ll scream. Finally JR pulls him free of the couch where he sits squished between Nana Celski and one of JR’s numerous Aunts. He watches as JR smiles at the women, grinning the grin that always has the girls on the swim team at school ready to do his bidding, and makes an excuse about Nathan’s family waiting for them and the two of them having to get going. It still takes them over half an hour to say good bye to everyone and get out the door. Nathan’s car is parked on the street and within a few minutes they’re on their way out of Federal Way and beginning the 1 hour trip around the Sound to get to Bremerton.

JR asks Nathan about his family on the drive, trying to put him at ease. Nathan’s nervous as hell and being much quieter than usual. JR tries to keep him talking. He asks about Nathan’s brother and sister, his parents, and grandparents. He asks about Christmas when he was a kid and about his favorite memories. By the time they pull up to Nathan’s house it is late afternoon, and Nathan is much calmer. He parks the car on the street in front of the house, and looks at his child home. He takes a deep breath, shutting off the engine, and turning to look at JR who smiles at him.

“Nathan you just spent an hour talking about how close and wonderful and loving your whole family is. You didn’t share one bad memory or judgmental action. I really don’t think you need to worry about their reactions. But either way, I’m here and I love you, and neither of those things is going to change,” he says. Nathan grins, blushing a little.

“It’s hard not to imagine the very worst outcome. Growing up in my parent’s house, it wasn’t making them mad that scared us. It was disappointing them,” Nathan explains. JR grins.

“How could they possibly be disappointed in you?” JR asks. Nathan laughs, shaking his head.

“Come on, let’s go face the music,” he says opening his door and climbing out. JR takes a deep breath, calming his own racing heart, and gets out joining Nathan at the curb.

Cecilia Adrian, is a small woman, much smaller than Nathan, but not much shorter than JR. She hugs Nathan for what feels like five minutes before turning and smiling at JR in greeting.

“Mom, this is JR Celski,” Nathan says by way of introduction.

“Hello, JR, I’m Nathan’s mother, Cecilia, it’s so good to meet you,” she says pulling him into a hug. JR hugs her back, smiling at Nathan over her shoulder.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Adrian,” JR says giving her his best, most charming smile. She grins at him, tugging him by the arm further into the house.

“Now, are you a friend of Nathan’s from school, dear?” she asks. JR turns to look at Nathan, but he shrugs clearly a little unsure. JR smiles at her.

“Um, yes. I’m a Freshman. Nathan was my orientation counselor this past summer. He also spent a large part of the semester helping me with my Statistics homework,” he tells her, none of which is a lie.

“Oh he did?,” she says turning to smile at Nathan. He blushes and nods. She grins at JR again. “That doesn’t surprise me. So what brings you to Washington? Are you from here?” she asks, leading him into the living room. JR nods.

“Grew up in Federal Way actually,” he explains. “My family still lives there.” Her whole face lights up.

“That’s not very far away, at all!” she says. At that point, their presence had been noticed, and an older man, two younger men, and a woman all stand up in reaction.

Nathan is enveloped in hug after hug, getting a firm handshake from the guy on the end of the line, the one JR assumes is his brother in law. Then Nathan turns to introduce JR. That’s when he blurts it out.

“This is JR Celski. My boyfriend.”

JR, shocked, but trying not to show it, smiles, pulls one of his hands out of his jeans pocket and waves a little.

“Hello,” he says softly. The entire family goes silent in shock.

“Boyfriend?” the younger woman says, looking from Nathan to JR and back again. That’s when she rears back and socks Nathan in the shoulder. Nathan stumbles away from her. But she pulls back and punches him again.

“Ow! Don! Stop it!” Nathan yells. JR’s mouth drops open. He moves to intervene when the next words out of the woman’s mouth stops him in his tracks.

“How could you not tell me!?” SMACK. “You’re supposed to tell me everything! I’m your sister you stupid asshole!” SMACK. “I would have been there for you, you big JERK!” SMACK. That’s when Nathan surges forward grabbing her up in a tight hug. She fights him for a second her fists pounding on his back a few times, until she goes limp against him and starts crying. Nathan hugs her tighter.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Nathan says squeezing her to him. JR rubs at the back of his neck, looking around at the others faces. There are looks of concern but not anger or surprise. Just relief. Nathan’s father smiles at JR, reaching out to pat him on that back.

“Why don’t we give them a minute? JR, was it?” he asks, leading JR further into the house into the dining room and then into the kitchen. “I’m Jim, Nathan’s dad. How was the drive?” The rest of the family trails after them, talking softly with each other. JR looks back once to see Nathan, with tears streaming down his face, talking quietly with his sister, their faces inches apart, Donella wiping at her tears and nodding in response. The kitchen is warm and inviting and JR sits down at the offered seat at the kitchen table.

“The drive was good. Took about an hour to get here from Federal Way,” he explains. Cecilia smiles at him.

“Would you like anything to drink?” she asks.

“Yes, filtered water, if you have it?” she smiles, going to get him a glass. JR turns to look at the men spread all around the table opposite him. They’re all smiling. “So… that went well?” JR asks. All three of them laugh.

“That’s pretty much the only way it could have gone down!” one of the men says. “Please forgive my wife. Donella loves Nathan more than anyone else on the planet, including me, she’s just mad he didn’t confide in her. I’m Nathan’s brother-in-law. Bruce,” the man says, reaching out to shake JR’s hand across the table.

“JR,” he says shaking the offered hand. The guy next to him laughs a little.

“I’m Justin. Our sister has a bit of a temper. I wouldn’t be surprised if she leaves bruises,” says the other guy. “So, boyfriend huh?” he asks, offering his hand too. JR shakes it

“Yeah,” JR says pulling his hand back. Cecilia returns with a glass of water for him and sits down to his right. JR thanks her.

“Tell us all about yourself!” she says eagerly.

“Yeah like how did my little brother land a freshman?” Justin asks. JR laughs, shaking his head.

“Umm... Nathan was my Orientation Counselor, back in July. A very nice woman from Student Support Services introduced us. She thought that he and I would get along,” JR explains.

“That’s my brother, robbing the cradle!” Justin laughs. JR shakes his head laughing.

“Nah, I’m not some kid. I mean I know I look young, but I’m older than you’d think,” JR says.

“Well how old are you, JR?” Jim asks.

“Twenty, actually. Nathan’s a little over a year and a half older than me.”

“Oh, did you put off school?” Cecilia asks. JR grins at her.

“Yeah, for two years. I kind of had too.” She smiles at him.

“Oh? Why?” she asks. JR doesn’t get to respond because Nathan does.

“He was busy,” he calls. JR looks over and smiles at him, his whole face lighting up. Nathan grins at him. He’s standing in the doorway to the kitchen, his arm around the shoulder of his older sister. Her face is red and a little splotchy from crying but she’s grinning. Nathan walks with her to the table, pulling out the chair beside Bruce for her, and taking the one between it and JR for himself. He sits down, pressing the palm of his right hand to JR’s thigh. He squeezes it for a second before pulling back. JR smiles at him.

“You ok?” he asks quietly. Nathan shrugs looking a bit bashful.

“Mostly,” he says back just as softly.

“Busy?” Jim asks, quickly catching their attention. JR groans and turns to look at Nathan.

“You had to do that didn’t you?” he asks. Nathan laughs.

“What? You get to be proud that I’m an Olympic medalist, but I don’t get to be proud of you?” he asks. JR blushes red, burying his face in his hands. Nathan smiles around the table. “JR’s a short track speed skater. He won two medals in Vancouver last February.” Nathan says proudly. JR sighs, dropping his hands, and sitting up straighter in his chair. He watches shock filter across the faces surrounding the table, and comprehension dawning in Cecilia’s eyes.

“The skater from Federal Way!” she says in disbelief. JR grins at her.

“Nathan told me you were watching. It was great to have so much support back home,” JR says sincerely. She reaches over to grip his hand.

“You did very well. Congratulations. Your family must be so proud!” she says. JR nods.

“They are. I’m sure you’re all very proud of Nathan too,” he says genuinely. Her smile spreads impossibly wider.

“Of course we are. How could we not be?” she asks looking at Nathan fondly. JR nudges Nathan’s thigh with his knee at the words, getting a push back. Her expression changes then to something more solemn and serious. “Oh honey, why didn’t you tell us you were gay? It doesn’t change anything.” Nathan looks down his hands twisting together in his lap.

“I don’t know. I didn’t want to disappoint you. I didn’t want you to be upset with me,” he says quietly. Cecilia shakes her head.

“It doesn’t make any difference to us. You’re still our child. You always will be,” she reassures him, reaching over to grip his hand. Nathan holds it tightly. He smiles at her a little hesitantly and looks at his Dad. Jim’s face is hard to read.

“That kid when you were in high school…” he says trailing off. Nathan winces.

“Pete,” Nathan says softly. Jim’s frown digs deeper.

“He was telling the truth?” he asks. Nathan sighs.

“We were seeing each other. He wanted me to come out. I wasn’t ready, so he decided to do it for me. I broke up with him right after. I’m sorry I lied to you. I didn’t want too, but I was scared.”

“Oh, honey. We knew way before then,” Cecelia says. “Family sometimes just knows.” Nathan turns shocked eyes back to his mother.

“But you never said anything!” he protests. Justin shrugs.

“Neither did you! We decided to let you tell us when you were ready. We all saw the way you reacted when that little shit told us what he did. We thought it was best to let you tell us when you were sure you wanted us to know!” he explains. Nathan’s mouth drops open and JR grins. Donella rolls her eyes.

“I was sure you’d tell me first if it was true. I was half convinced maybe you were just confused, or it had been a ‘phase.’” She rolls her eyes. Nathan winces again.

“I said I was sorry, Don!” he says. She smiles at him.

“I know! It’ll take a little while for the sting to wear off though,” she warns. Nathan looks back at his Dad.

“Dad?” Nathan says. Jim grimaces.

“I’ll kill him,” he says gruffly. Nathan pales. “That little bastard told us without your permission. A breach of trust that bad, is unforgiveable.” Nathan laughs in relief.

“I haven’t seen him in over four years. I don’t even know where he is. Besides he wasn’t a very good boyfriend. Not in comparison to JR!” he says laughing. It’s JR’s turn to blush. And just like that the attention was turned back to the newcomer. JR shrinks a little under the sudden attention.

“Yes, JR, ultimate question: What football team do you follow?” Bruce asks. JR grins.

“Is there any team in the world other than the Hawks?” he asks. That earns a round of cheers from the guys and Donella. Cecelia merely shakes her head. JR grins at them all, feeling totally at ease and accepted. He reaches over under the table and takes Nathan’s hand in his own, giving it a squeeze and getting one back in return.

“Cute, athletic, smart, successful, and a Seahawks fan? I think you might have found the only perfect guy in the whole world, Nate!” Donella says with a grin. Bruce feigns outrage and pulls his wife out of her seat and into his lap.

“And just what am I if he is the only perfect guy in the whole world?” he asks. She laughs, curling into him and pressing a kiss to his mouth.

“You’re perfect for me, Bruce! Other people would probably have a problem with your narcissism though,” she says deadpan. He looks utterly shocked for a second before laughing loudly.

 

JR and Nathan spend the evening with Nathan’s family, eating dinner and opening presents around the tree. Nathan gives JR his Christmas present. An iTunes gift card and a box of CDs. JR looks at him in confusion. Nathan grins.

“You’ve spent the last semester educating me on all of Seattle’s independent music and local hip hop. Now I’m going to teach you about the local scene in Berkeley,” he decrees. JR laughs, flipping through the CDs.

“It’s not going to be better than what I played for you,” JR teases. Nathan laughs.

“We’ll just see about that,” Nathan says accepting the challenge.

Later, Nathan shows JR his room. It’s about what JR expected from him. Full of swimming awards, and paraphernalia, family photos, and camping gear. There’s far more flannel in his wardrobe than JR was expecting and Nathan laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

“It was a phase,” he says closing his closet door firmly. Then he sits JR down and disappears for a few minutes. He comes back a little while later with a small box. Inside is his gold medal from Beijing. JR examines each groove and cut in it’s surface, smoothing his thumbs over the Jade embedded in the back. He hands it back with such pride on his face that Nathan blushes as he rearranges the ribbon and packs it back away. Donella may or may not walk in on a make-out session shortly thereafter.

 

JR gets along great with Nathan’s family. Nathan gets along great with JR’s family. But vacation can only last so long. Nathan has a meet a few weeks into January, and needs to get back to training. He leaves to head back to California only a few days after Christmas. JR surprises him by showing up late on the day of New Year’s Eve. They each get their kiss at midnight.

 

Later that night, with the lights turned out and Nathan stretched out naked and asleep beside him, JR reaches for his cell phone, which is lighting up but silent on the bedside table. He has a slew of “Happy New Year” messages waiting for him. He grins scrolling through them one at a time before stopping at one from Apolo.

“Happy New Year, JR. You doing ok?”

JR bites his lip. He glances at Nathan, visible in the low light, breathing deep with sleep.

“I’m great. Happy New Year, Apolo.” he sends back. It’s not but a few seconds before he gets a reply.

“You and N, ok? I was worried.” JR smiles a little.

“We’re great. How’s Yuki?”

“Big Poppa is with me here in Vegas.” And then a second later, “I miss you.”

JR sighs, stopping to think about how he should respond to such a statement from Apolo of all people.

“I’m moving in with Nathan. You should come visit us. Announced this time.” That, he thinks should draw a pretty clear line. Apolo takes his time replying.

“Sounds like a plan. See you around?” Nathan sighs in his sleep, rolling closer to JR, the arm around JR’s middle tugging him closer. Nathan whines a little and JR grins wider. He reaches down to push Nathan’s thick dark hair back off his forehead. Nathan’s so beautiful like this, relaxed in sleep, warm and pliant. Nathan snuggles a fraction closer, and the hand JR has in Nathan’s hair, slides down to stroke the back of his neck. Nathan moans a little, stirring in his sleep and cracking open his eyes.

“JR?” Nathan whispers, blinking up at him. JR’s cell phone lights up. Another message from Apolo: “JR?” The man in question laughs. No contest. He tosses his phone back on the nightstand, sliding back down in the bed, to lay flat beside Nathan, who readjusts his hold, his head coming to rest on JR’s shoulder. “hmmmm… love you,” Nathan says voice hoarse and heavy with sleep. JR smiles a bit stupidly.

“I love you, too, swim-boy,” he closes his eyes and goes to sleep. It’s the beginning of a new year, a new chapter, and he’s more than ready to see what the future holds.

 

The End.


End file.
